Doll News Fall 2020 - 95

Dolls of the 1950s:
Plastic Ushers in a New Era
BY CHIP BARKEL

T

hey say necessity is the mother of invention. Wars and other disruptions often usher in creations that
change our lives in big and unexpected ways. World War I put a stop to German doll imports, while
American doll makers stepped in to fill the void. During World War II metal became a precious
commodity, so alternatives were pushed to the forefront. Even though plastic had been around for 30+ years in the
form of Bakelite, the use of plastic exploded during and after WWII. Composition dolls had had their heyday for
20 to 30 years and now plastic was ready to take the spotlight. 1947 is generally acknowledged as the last year for
composition dolls and 1948 the first for hard plastic dolls. I had a Madame Alexander Hansel and Gretel set dressed
in matching outfits. One was a 1947 composition model and the other a 1948 hard plastic model. By the 1950s hard
plastic was fully entrenched and it wouldn't be long before its cheaper cousin vinyl would enter from stage left.
The following photo essay is a Hall of Fame for 1950s plastic dolls. Girls played with and collected dolls much
later in life in the 50s. Many girls would talk of getting dolls up until around age 14 and by age 16 boys had stolen
their attention. Some of the dolls I have highlighted were obviously aimed for the much younger set, emphasizing
play. Others were geared at older girls aimed at teaching them how to become young, sophisticated, cultured ladies.
The brand-new technology, television, also created a whole new celebrity genre. As with any decade, it was difficult
to choose which dolls to include in this hall of fame.

1950

Mary Martin opened as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific in April 1949 at the Majestic Theater in New York. In
1950 South Pacific won ten Tony awards. My mother often talked of seeing the show in March of 1951, since seeing it
was the highlight of a weekend in New York during which she became engaged to my father. This doll is 18-inches
tall with a caracul wig. She also came dressed in a white sailor suit and a white ball gown adorned with red or green
velvet bows.

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