Guide To Identifying The #2 Most Sold Dolls - Mama Or Baby Dolls (original) (raw)

1918 Madame Hendren Lyf–Lyk Mama, Baby composition doll, 25″ tall, molded hair, wide cloth body, cloth legs and both feet are the same.

Long, long ago another type of doll dominated the doll market – Mama Dolls!

Messaging and communication by people around the world existed with a family gathering around a radio, yes even royal families or purchasing newspapers or magazines in black and white print. No Internet, cell phones, computers or television with video images to promote and advertise a brand or product existed.

On June 11 in 1918 Georgene Averill – Madame Hendren – patented and created an improved baby doll. Averill’s Lyf–Lyk (Life-Like) doll is the size of a human infant child, it has a composition flange head with molded painted hair and eyes, a closed mouth with cloth upper arms and partial composition lower arms and hands, a wide cloth stuffed body torso and straight, swinging cloth legs with stitched heeled feet (exclusive to Averill’s doll) to simulate walking when led.

What is a Mama doll? Not long after production had begun a voice box was added to the Averill dolls tummy that cried Ma-Ma when the doll is tilted. This feature is how Mama dolls got their name. By 1921 Mama dolls were also patented in England.

During 1923 around 80% of all dolls preferred by a child in the United States were Mama dolls. By 1926 the European bisque head doll market dominance ended due to costly production and high import tariffs. The composition head Mama doll created the United States dominance in the doll market. 2026 – Today 80% of all plastic dolls are made in China, designed by many doll makers and sold elsewhere.

A guide to help date Mama or Baby dolls by body style

1928 American Mama full composition legs doll 20″ – In 1927 American Mama composition dolls had slimmer cloth bodies and partial composition lower legs were introduced, about 1928 composition swivel shoulder heads, cloth firmly stuffed body, full composition limbs thus the dolls could stand unaided.

ca. 1935 American Averill Mama doll, left and right feet – Around 1935 American Mama composition dolls flange neck or shoulder heads, stitched hips, appeared with distinct right and left feet with a big toe, rather than both feet exactly the same.

Too many Mama dolls are look a like’s and unmarked, making it nearly impossible to identify a Mama or Baby composition doll with certainty. Unmarked head molds could be used by different doll makers. Sometimes the best you can do is describe it as a Mama or Baby type doll and estimate when the doll was made.

By the mid-1940s composition Mama dolls have full composition legs with a left and right foot with a big toe. Mama dolls popularity continued to decline and doll makers replaced composition with plastic invented during World War II. By the early to mid 1950s most dolls are made of hard plastic and the era of Fashion dolls begin, those doll makers are listed on the hard plastic doll page.

Mama Type Dolls Identified

ca. 1930s+ American Mama type doll 20″ face, composition head molded hair, sleep eyes, open mouth, cloth stuffed body with crier, doll unmarked.

1931+ Horsman Baby Darling doll a Mama type doll 19-25″ tall, composition head molded hair, sleep eyes, open mouth, stuffed cloth body with crier, doll unmarked. Doll head mold was also sold by other doll makers.

ca. 1939+ Horsman Genuine Art Mama type doll 23 1/2″ composition head with molded hair and forked curl on forehead, sleep eyes, open mouth, cloth stuffed body with crier, doll mark Horsman, Ideal Doll or unmarked, head mold also sold by others; Arranbee My Dream Baby, Sears Baby Sunshine doll, plus more.

ca. 1940s+ ABC Toy Company Mama type baby doll 17″ composition head molded hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth, cloth stuffed body with crier, doll mark ABC Toy Co.

Note: The Horsman Genuine Art doll with molded hair was also sold on an all composition body.

Mama composition doll makers or distributor Name Brands

(1920s to 1940s doll companies who made composition dolls, probably made Mama dolls too)