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Horsman Dolls:  | 1865-1940s | 1950s | 1960-1970s |

Edward Imeson (E.I.) Horsman opened a toy company in New York city in 1865 and became a leader in the toy industry.  In the early years they produced a variety of composition dolls wearing wigs, molded or painted hair, sleep or painted eyes.  About 1909 they used a new formula to make "Can't break Em" dolls like the Billiken.   By the 1980's the Horsman name was sold to an Asian company (Gata Box, Ltd) who produced dolls under the name Horsman Ltd. which are now made in Hong Hong, China.         

Here are some dolls by Horsman 1960-1970s we have found:

1960's Ruth's Sister, 26" tall, hard plastic body and legs, vinyl head and arms, rooted hair, sleep eyes with lashes, open mouth, marked Horsman T-27.

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1960's Ruth Sister, 26"

1961 Jackie, 25" tall with rooted black hair and blue sleep eyes, marked: Horsman 19©61 JK 25 4, came in several different outfits.  

 

Clearly you can see the resemblance to Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy.

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1961 Jackie, 25"

1963 Poor Pitiful Pearl - Horsman, box front says; "Make her pretty make her wish come true!". 11-12" or 16" tall, hard plastic jointed body, vinyl head with rooted hair, painted eyes, closed painted mouth, marked: ©1963 Wm Steig Horsman.

 

Poor Pitiful Pearl 1963 by Horsman

1963 Poor Pitiful Pearl  Horsman

ca. 1963 Poor Pitiful Pearl, was also produced by Brookglad Creations, Tristar companies, & Horsman (photo is the Tristar Poor Pitiful Pearl MIB), 16" tall. Box front says; Help I need a Mommy, Change me from pitiful to pretty!

ca. 1963 Poor Pitiful Pearl, 16" Tristar

1964 Mary Poppins, 12" tall, see the Mary Poppins link for more details. There was also a set available of Mary Poppins which included both Jane Banks and Michael Banks too.

Horsman Mary Poppins 1964

1964 Mary Poppins , 12"

1964 Thirstee Walker, 27" tall, soft vinyl skin with a wired bendable body, rooted hair, sleep eyes, marked Horsman TB-26.

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1964 Thirstee Walker, 27"

1965 Cinderella set, 11 1/2" tall, hard plastic, jointed body, rooted hair, marked: H 1965

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1965 Cinderella, 11 1/2"

1965 Flying Nun, 12" tall, Sally Fields from the 1960's TV show, vinyl with rooted brunette hair wearing her white Nun's habit and white flying nun hat. There is also a 15" Nun doll, not related to the Sally doll, has a typical Horsman doll face.

 

See also the Dolly Darling pages, Flying Nun, for another smaller version by Hasbro.

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1965 Flying Nun, 12"

1965 Patty Duke, 12" tall, wears gray flannel pants and a red sweater red shoes, looks like Tammy, marked: Horsman Doll 6211

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1965 Patty Duke, 12"

1965 Teensie Tot, 11" tall, black or white doll, hard plastic jointed body, soft vinyl head with short rooted hair, sleep eyes, real upper eyelashes, tiny painted lower lashes, closed smiling watermelon painted mouth, came various outfits, an Irene Szor designed doll.  Marked: Horsman Dolls, Inc. T 11 or H.

Photo courtesy of Missin-in-action.

1965 Teensie Tot, 11"

1966 Mary Poppins, 36" tall, Playpal sized, similar to the smaller sized doll sold earlier, only a lot bigger, has a chubbier body more like a child than an adult.   

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1966 Mary Poppins, 36"

 

1968 Perfume Pixies, 3" tall, Liddle Kiddle Kologne doll competitor, (3) in the series:  Bluebell, Marigold & Rosebud, all vinyl with bendable limbs, long rooted hair, painted facial features a single upper lash extending from outer corner of eye, closed mouth,  each with a permafragrance and packaged in a plastic dome bell.

 

Each comes wearing a flocked sleeveless dress with a flower on front, in an appropriate color for the flower scent it is named after.  ie. rose for Rosebud who is shown, blue for Bluebell and orange for Marigold.

1968 Perfume Pixies, 3"

1968 Tuffie, 17" tall, all vinyl, rooted blonde hair, closed mouth with tucked in lips - kind of pouty, and her hand index finger is pointing out.  Marked: Horsman B-19.     

Photo courtesy Debi Brame

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1968 Tuffie, 17"

1968 Zodiac Baby, 6" tall, all vinyl, jointed baby type, long pink rooted hair, black eyes, open mouth, came with a charm bracelet with the zodiac signs. 

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1968 Zodiac Baby, 6"

1970 Peggy Pen Pal, 18" tall, vinyl and hard plastic, rooted blonde hair, blue eyes, came wearing her red dress with writing desk and implements.

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1970 Peggy Pen Pal, 18"

1971 Baby's 1st Sofskin, with the soft skin you love to touch, 16" tall, soft vinyl chubby baby body, sleep eyes, molded hair, open mouth, drink wet doll.  Marked 3255 15 EYE 17 HORSMAN DOLLS INC. 19©71.

 

Horsman made a lot of different Sofskin dolls over the years, they came in various sizes, some had rooted hair and the names varied, too.

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1971 Baby's 1st Sofskin, 16"

1971 Super-Flex or Sofskin Black Girl, 15" tall, one piece soft vinyl body with bendable limbs, jointed only at the neck, vinyl head with black rooted fair, brown sleep eyes, open mouth with hole, drink wet baby doll.  Marked 3381 20 EYE HORSMAN DOLLS INC. 19©71.

1971 Super-Flex or sofskin Black Girl, 15"

1971 Super-Flex or Sofskin Black Girl, 15"

1971-1974 Beauty Parlor mannequin head and neck only; a vinyl head with long rooted hair no bangs, painted facial features with feathered brows, painted eyes with real upper eyelashes, painted lower lashes, open mouth with teeth.  Note; mannequin head was not at this time sold with the Betsy McCall name.    

                   

See also; 1975 Betsy McCall teenage doll below.

1971-1974 Beauty Parlor mannequin head and neck only

1971-1974 Beauty Parlor Mannequin head

1972 Bye-Lo Baby, 14" tall, vinyl head and swivel limbs, cloth body, painted eyes, marked Horsman Doll 1972.

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1972 Bye-Lo baby, 14"

1972 Little Debbie, 11" tall, vinyl head with rooted hair, painted upper eyelashes, open smiling mouth, jointed plastic body, dressed in a short sleeve blue & white check gingham dress, white apron pinafore with her name of front Little Debbie, matching straw hat with edges bo8und in gingham, white socks & black shoes. 

 

Made by Horsman for "Little Debbie Snack Cakes" company 25th anniversary.  Marked on head: Horsman Dolls Inc. 19©72.  This same face mold was also used on other Horsman dolls - 1960s-1980s.

1972 Little Debbie, 11"

1972 Pippi Longstocking, 22" tall, marked 25-3 Horsman Dolls Inc. 1972, cloth doll, red yarn braided hair, multi colored clothing, has her name on the outer smock or vest. 

 

1972 Pippi 18" tall, is all vinyl, with rooted hair and freckled face and is shown in the photo.

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1972 Pippi Longstocking, 18"

1974 Betsy McCall doll and Beauty Box, 13" tall doll with extra hair pieces and non-toxic make-up.

1974 Betsy McCall Beauty Box, 13"

1974-1975 Happy Baby, 16-18" tall, vinyl head with rooted hair, soft stuffed cloth body, sleep eyes, open smiling mouth, made battery operated recorded sounds, she: laughs, gurgles and chuckles when you lift her, she wore (1974) a pink and white check two piece top and pants in (1975) she wore a pink and yellow two piece outfit.  In 1975 she was 18" tall, 1976 she is 16" tall. 

 

1980s they made a Lil Happy Baby 14" tall. Sometime during the 1980s they dropped the "Lil" and and she was called just Happy Baby, a larger size at 16" was called: Talking Happy Baby who spoke six phrases.  In 1985 a 16" tall doll was named Wake Up Happy Baby, who laughed, cooed and giggled when lifted.  Horsman made Happy Baby named dolls into 2000.

1974-1975 Happy Baby, 18"

1974 Tessie Talks, 18" tall, ventriloquist doll, or battery operated talker? I forget which, oops, has her name on her apron, rooted short hair, dark eyes, movable jaw. funny freckled face, only a Mother could love, sigh.

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1974 Tessie Talks, 18"

1975 Betsy McCall doll, 29-30" tall, uses the head mold from the above 1971 Beauty Parlor mannequin, thus the same facial features; a vinyl head with long rooted hair no bangs, painted facial features with feathered brows, painted eyes with real upper eyelashes, painted lower lashes, open mouth with teeth, with a plastic jointed teenage body, came wearing a white ruffled eyelet blouse with black attached skirt, black and red beret hat, red open toe sandals.  Marked on head either; B. M. C. Horsman 1971 or Horsman Dolls Inc. 19©74.

1975 Horsman Betsy McCall doll, 29-30"

1975 Betsy McCall doll,

29-30"

1976 Angie Dickinson, Police Woman, 9" tall, all vinyl jointed doll with short blonde rooted hair, painted facial features, twist waist, flexible arms, jointed hips and knees that bend, wore a full red leotard, tan trench coat with belt and red boots.  Celebrity doll character Sergeant Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson from the Police Woman TV series 1974-1978.  Doll is marked Horsman Dolls Inc. 19©76.

1976 Angie Dickinson Police Woman, 9"

1976 Angie Dickinson, Police Woman, 9"

1976 Elizabeth Taylor doll, 11 1/2" tall, from The Blue Bird movie a George Cukor film. Other cast members were: Jane Fonda, Cicely Tyson, Will Geer, Todd Lookinland, Pavlova and Ava Gardner.  Shown MIB and with a clear view of the doll out of box.  The outfits included are: Witch, Light and Maternal Love.  This doll is very similar to the 1964 Mary Poppins doll, 12" tall.            Photo's courtesy of Esther Ingelmo.

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1976 Elizabeth Taylor 11 1/2"

 

1977-1979 Pudgie, 12" tall, possible other sizes, hard plastic chubby toddler body, vinyl head with rooted hair - usually blonde, left side glancing painted eyes with long glamour eyelashes, open mouth.   Marked on head: 8081 HORSMAN DOLLS INC 19©70.

 

1977-1979 Pudgie, 12"

Horsman Dolls:  | 1865-1940s | 1950s | 1960-1970s |

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