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Room 2 : the beginning of the XXst century

The appearance of the "character babies", the rage for "unbreakable babies" and "celluloïd dolls".

A showcase of room 2. Click on the dolls to enlarge them.


A few words of history...

In 1899 the most important French doll makers associated through the SFBJ (Société Française de fabrication de bébés et Jouets) in order to fight against the foreign competition and mainly the German one.
The SFBJ production is outstanding for the exceptional series of "character bebes" with expressive faces and child or even baby bodies.
SFBJ character baby with bisque head
SFBJ unbreakable character baby

During the roaring twenties, new materials have been used in the doll industry : celluloïd, composition, papier-mâché, cloth, felt...
Simoultaneously a new morphological type of doll raised on the market : the soft body baby representing the new born with a bald big head with side glancing eyes looking very realistic.

The main French firms of that time except the SFBJ are Raynal, Anel, Petitcollin, SIC (Societe Industrielle du Celluloïd), Capi...
SFBJ unbreakable character baby with stuffed body

Petitcollin celluloid baby

Chidren’s magazines also promoted dolls given as a gift such as Bleuette of "La Semaine de Suzette" which is probably the most famous with her rich trousseau that could be bought already made or could be sewn by little girls from the patterns published in the magazine.
Bleuette doll with bisque head


Room 3 : from the Second World War until today
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