Gutta-Percha, Caoutchouc, Rubber Dolls 1849+

Gutta-Percha - Caoutchouc - Vulcanized Rubber - Rubber Dolls 1849+

Caoutchouc, India rubber or gum was used for centuries to make dolls or parts of dolls, among other items. Caoutchouc, rubber or gum was Goodyear vulcanized rubber doll head USA mixed with other materials such as gutta-percha from the Para rubber tree of South America, the material is then colored and heated (vulcanized), to produce a material that would hold it's shape.

The history and invention of vulcanizing rubber belongs to Robert Haering with Charles Goodyear (founder of Goodyear Rubber Company 1835-1890), both of New haven, Connecticut, USA. Goodyear / New York Rubber Company, rubber doll heads paper box label states; Charles Goodyear's Patent April 25, 1848 and extended 1862. Vulcanized rubber head dolls have been found with paper labels stating; Charles Goodyear, Pat. May 6, 1851 EXT. 1865. A patent was also issued; No. 9,668 on April 12, 1853 in the USA and a British patent filed in 1855 for molded toys made of India rubber and gutta-percha.

Early antique gutta-percha doll makers include 1849 John Edward Payne (UK), 1855 John Henry Johnson of Glasgow, Scotland made India rubber and gutta percha dolls and other items, 1865 the Lang & Company (US) and 1852-1865 Jean L. H. Arnaud (FR), obtained patents of wood bodied dolls, covered in vulcanized rubber.

Early rubber vulcanized doll makers are Goodyear Rubber Company (US), India Rubber Comb Company, Benjamin F. Lee Company, New York Rubber Company (used Goodyear Patent March 28, 1854), Newark India Rubber Company, English doll makers; Metropolitan India Rubber Company and the Vulcanite Company.

1856-1925 Phoenix of Germany made rubber dolls. In 1875 both Ansil W. Monroe and Wesley Miller (USA) obtained patents for making rubber dolls. In the late 1870s Jne, Bru & Cie, Jules Nicholas Steiner and Derolland were all making rubber bébés in France. Doll makers in Austria, England, France, Germany, Hungary and other European countries, also made rubber dolls.

1880-1917 A.S. Cartwright USA made rubber dolls and accessories

1884-1898 E. Ridley & Sons USA distributed rubber dolls.

1890-1904 Louis Delachal FR, doll mark LD, doll name; Bébé Caoutchouc - rubber babies & dolls

1901 Montgomery Ward department store advertised All Rubber dolls

1910 Butler Brothers distributed All Rubber dolls and during World War I

1914-1966 Natural Doll Co USA made rubber dolls

1914-1920s Societe Française de Jouets & de Caoutchouc Bébés FRA rubber dolls

1915-1917 Mechanical Rubber Co (USA) made rubber dolls, marked M on a shield.

1915-1930 Thomas Salter LTD. UK produced India rubber dolls.

1916-1923 Faultless Rubber Co USA made rubber dolls

1919-1939 Regal Doll Corp. USA advertised rubber dolls

In the 1920s some dolls had rubber joints, hands or limbs; arms or legs.

1920s-1930s T. Eaton Company of Canada advertised rubber dolls as well as many other types

1921-1926 Eccles of England made rubber dolls with molded clothes

1921-1930 E. L. Sommers & Co squeeze the rubber ball, the rubber doll crawls or removes its hat dolls

1924-1925 Amberg & Hergershausen of Germany made rubber or composition dolls with mama voice box's

1924-1927 Mittelland Gummiwerke of Germany made rubber dolls

1924-1930 Strasserpuppen Werkstatten (Strasser Doll Workshop) of Berlin, Germany made rubber head portrait art dolls that were advertised as washable 12-23 1/2" tall named; 1924 Babs, Gerda, Hansi, Maria, 1926 Buby & Plumsi dolls.

1926-1930s Schavoir Rubber Company USA made red and white rubber dolls.

1928 Bing Brothers sold rubber dolls.

In the 1950s rubber resurfaces in a strong way as a doll makers material, with dolls, squeak toys and more being offered, which are familiar to most of us today. Arrow Plastics, Irwin Corporation, Sanitoy, Sun Rubber Co - plus we will keep adding any other rubber doll makers we find.

Some Rubber Dolls Identified

1933-1950s Effanbee Dy-Dee Baby doll, 9-24" tall, earliest dolls are made with a hard rubber head, later dolls were made of hard plastic, blue, brown or green sleep eyes, real upper lashes, single stroke brow, painted lower lashes, open mouth, applied soft rubber ears, molded painted hair, soft rubber body jointed at the neck, arms and hips, First drink and wet baby doll, came dressed in cotton flannel diaper, doll marked on back: DyDee Baby U.S. Pat. 1-857-485 England-880-060 France-723-980 Germany-585-647 Other Pat. Pending.

1933+ F & B Dy-Dee Baby doll 11"

1936 Ideal Suzette an I-De-Lite Doll or Lifetime Doll, 12, 14, 16" tall, Shirley Temple look a like doll without the dimples, all Idenite a hard rubber material (much heavier than composition) jointed at the neck, shoulders and hips, celluloid sleep eyes, open mouth with two upper teeth, has molded hair under the mohair wig. Doll is unmarked.

1936 Ideal Suzette, I-De-Lite,

or Lifetime doll, 16"

1936-1938 American Character Sally Jane doll or Paratex Girl doll, 15, 17, 19 & 22" tall, a Shirley Temple look-a-like, all paratex rubber and composition jointed body, curly human hair wig, sleep hazel eyes, open smiling mouth with six upper teeth, dimples, wore an organdy dress. Doll is unmarked.

Photo courtesy of Nativelady

1936 AC Sally Jane doll, 15"

1949 Irwin Corporation Baby Doll, 14" tall, jointed rubber body and limbs with lots of detail; wrinkles and folds, softer rubber head with molded painted hair, painted or sleep eyes, open nurser mouth. Irwin is probably best know for their small or doll house sized, hard plastic dolls, so this one is quite interesting. Marked on neck NON-INFLAM Mark on back Made by IRWIN in USA (in a circle).

1949 Irwin Baby Doll, 14"

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