Kewpie Dolls
History of the Kewpie Dolls
Kewpie Dolls and dolls have been one of the toys that have marked practically anyone’s childhood. Whether it looks like children or more like adults, dolls have drawn the fancy of kids all over the world and even some adults who have turned to doll collecting as a hobby.
Kewpie Mushroom Keychain Author: d!zzy
One of the dolls that gained a huge popularity in the 1900’s was the Kewpie dolls, which were inspired by illustrations made by an artist named Rose O’Neill for Ladies’ Home Journal. That was back in 1909 and it was only after a good three years since they were first seen in the journal that the Kewpies were first produced as dolls and figurines. The Borgfeldt Co. was responsible for that effort as it sealed the deal with O’Neill to manufacture the Kewpie dolls in Germany.
The design of the doll was based on the renderings of O’Neill’s illustrations by a young sculptor named Joseph Kallus. The first dolls were made in Ohrdurf, Germany by toy manufacturers affiliated with the Borgfeldt Company, and were originally made out of bisque. These dolls were marked with O’Neill’s name and are certified collector’s items at present. Soon after, other materials were used to make the dolls.
The Cameo Doll Products Company, which was founded by Joseph Kallus in 1922, made the Cameo Kewpie doll out of composition while Karl Standfuss from Germany made the dolls out of celluloid. Eventually, Cameo Kewpies that were made of hard plastic and vinyl also came out. In 1944, the rights to produce the Kewpies were fully transferred to Joseph Kallus after O’Neill died. Along with the rights came original Kewpie doll models as well as patent materials, which were sadly stolen from Kallus’s apartment in 1976.
It was a great loss because of the history that is attached to the Kewpie. Meanwhile the rights to produce the Kewpie have been sold from one company after another including Strombecker, which was found in Chicago and which paved the way for the Kewpie to appear in hallmark cards.
Another company to whom Kallus sold the rights to was Jesco Incorporated owned by Nancy Villasenor. The deal was made close to Kallus’s death and it was reported that he chose to sell it to Jesco because he and Villasenor shared the same passion for making the Kewpie dolls available for the enjoyment of children and for the satisfaction of Antique Kewpie collectors.
