When I was a little girl I LOVED playing with paper dolls. The clothes that you could put the tiny ladies & men in, were stunning and forever endless it seemed. These dolls were also one of the reasons I started designing clothing and then eventually attend University for Fashion Marketing at Ryerson in Toronto. So they are quite special to me.

For today’s post I want to share a collection of paper dolls from the 1920s-1960s (some vintage & some reproduction) as well as a brief history lesson.

Let the fun begin!

Vintage Paper Dolls 1920’s – 1960’s

Did you know! Some facts about the Paper Doll….

Source: Paper Doll Review

First manufactured paper doll: Little Fanny, produced by S&J Fuller, London, in 1810 (Source).

The first American paper doll commercially produced as a children’s toy was Boston-based J. Belcher’s “The History and Adventures of Little Henry” in 1812. The dolls accompanied a children’s book and were designed to act out various scenes as the narratives unfolded (Source).

Early paper dolls came in books, boxes, folders, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements. By the 1920s and 1930s, most paper dolls came in a book with the doll figures on the cardboard covers and the clothing on the paper pages within (Source).

Paper dolls were most popular during World War II probably because materials needed for other kinds of toys were directed to the war effort (Source).

First celebrity paper doll: A doll portraying the renowned ballerina Marie Taglioni, published in the 1830s (Source).

Paper dolls declined in popularity in the 1960s and 70s, and some blame Mattel’s Barbie. With her fashionable wardrobe, Barbie fulfilled much of the same fantasy play role as paper dolls. Paper dolls’ heyday endured over one hundred years (Source).

Paper dolls as artifacts illustrate the social expectations for women at particular moments in time. As products of both popular culture and mass marketing, paper dolls are intentionally designed to reflect that society’s idealized version of womanhood. The dolls’ little paper wardrobes communicate a wealth of information about the ideal woman of the past (Source).

For an excellent historical breakdown of the history of paper dolls, please check out ‘The Original Paper Doll Artists Guild” blog post HERE.

Make sure you also check out from the ‘National Women’s History Museum’, “History of Papper Dolls and Popular Culture“. Another great look into it’s history.

Beautiful Examples of Vintage Paper Dolls

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy and eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Note: If you click on an item and it is no longer available, don’t fret! The websites I have provided are updated daily with 1000’s of new & vintage items. Just do a quick search and see what you find.

The 1920’s

“Sister Nell Goes to a Party”. Gorgeous art deco flapper (1920s) paper doll with her party wardrobe.

Source: Etsy

1920s Paper Dolls featuring ‘The Angel Family’-The Women Folks. Very stylish 1920s Fashions!

Source: Etsy

The 1930’s

Tillie the Toiler in her 1930s fashions.

Source: The paper collection

Who was Tillie the Toiler? She is a newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Russ Westover who initially worked on his concept of a flapper character in a strip he titled Rose of the Office. With a title change, it sold to King Features Syndicate which carried the strip from January 3, 1921 to March 15, 1959.

Stylish working girl Tillie was employed as a stenographer, secretary and part-time model. An attractive brunette, she had no problem finding men to escort her around town. Comics historian Don Markstein described the story situations:

Tillie (last name Jones) toiled for a fashionable women’s wear company run by clothing mogul J. Simpkins. Or usually did, anyway—she’d occasionally quit or be fired, as the plotline, which ran at breakneck pace and didn’t always make perfect sense, required. During World War II, in fact, she even joined the U.S. Army. But she always came back to Simpkins. Mostly, she worked in his office, but she also did a little modeling. Whatever she did and wherever she went, however, she was impeccably dressed in the very latest styles. (Except when she was in the army, of course.) This helped her in the pursuit of charming and often wealthy young men, who came and went at an alarming rate, providing grist for the story mill. She did, however, have one steady male associate, Clarence “Mac” MacDougall, a short, bulb-nosed co-worker who loved her persistently even though she returned little of the feeling (Source).

PLEASE NOTE: It appears from my high level research that the paper dolls were not seen until the 1930s as I cannot find any examples of 20’s fashions on Tillie in this format (please let me know if I am wrong in the comment section).

Source: www.blackgate.com

“Tillie the Toiler Fashion Parade”. 1930s Evening Desses for a fun night out on the town.

Source: Paper Doll Convention

The next 2 dolls is from the Sunday Funny newspaper paper doll section of TOOTS & CASPER by Jimmy Murphy.

Toots and Casper was a long-run family comic strip by Jimmy Murphy, distributed to newspapers for 37 years by King Features Syndicate, from December 17, 1918 to December 30, 1956. The strip spawned many merchandising tie-ins, including books, dolls, paper dolls, pins, bisque nodders and comic books (Source).

Source: eBay

1930s Men’s fashion for Casper’s paper doll.

Source: eBay

Adorable vintage 1930s ladies awaiting their clothes. Let’s see what stylish 30’s fashions we have….

Source: Etsy

The 1940’s

Even in paper form, 1940s Lana Turner is still so stylish.

Source: Etsy

Who is a fan of the movie a “League of their Own?” ME ME ME!!! I have seen that movie a million times and it really was one of the reasons I got into blogging and focusing on 1940s content…a lot! Anyways, here is a downladable paper doll from “Retro Paper Dolls” that will make your dreams of becoming a Rockford Peach a reality (well in paper format)!

When your done with this blog post, make sure you check out an archived post I did all about the “All-American Girls Baseball League” (it’s super fun with great photos!).

Source: Etsy

Have you ever wanted to play dressup with Bette Davis 1940s wardrobe? Here is your chance, with this 1940s vintage paper doll book. See inside HERE.

Source: eBay

Tillie the Toiler is still around in the 1940s and still sporting those stylish threads.

Source: AJH shop

Before I close out the 1940s, take a moment to read this heartwarming story about a father who drew a paper doll & her 1940 wardrobe for his beloved daughter. The collection still exists today! Take a read HERE.

Source: Union Bulletin

The 1950’s

Torchy

Torchy Togs was a paper doll cut-out panel that educated Black Women on how and when to wear exquisite fashions by Jackie Ormes.

The Torchy Brown character was the first positive Black female character to ever appear in her own syndicated comic strip.

Who was Jackie Ormes?

Excerpt from ‘The Museum of Uncut Funk’: 

Jackie became the first nationally syndicated Black woman cartoonist in 1937. The “Torchy Brown” series first appeared in the Black-owned Pittsburgh Courier in 1937, and eventually appeared in fourteen syndicated newspapers. Ormes’s strips depicted Blacks in a very different fashion which was not the norm of her day. Typically Blacks were shown as servants or exaggerated caricatures of the “Buckwheat” or “Steppin Fetchit” variety. In contrast, Ormes’s female characters were independent and strong.  Jackie Ormes said “I have never liked dreamy little women who can’t hold their own” (Source).

Torchy Brown in her 1952 fashions. I love all the outfits featured below!

Source: Museum of Uncut Funk

1950s reproduction of ‘Merry Teens Paper Dolls’ featuring the cute outfits one would wear to a barn dance.

Source: eBay

And because I am loving all the paper dolls on Retro Paper Dolls Etsy Store, here is one more. This Back To School Paper doll is a fun take on the vintage styles of the 1950s!

Source: Etsy

Katy Keene, America’s Illustrated Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions. Her style is fantastic and I would put every single piece in my closet if they were real.

Note: The fish purse in the bottom right…YOOZA! Totally my kitschy style.

Every issue of Katy Keene Comics in the 1950s devoted one page to paper dolls — sometimes featuring Katy, sometimes Gloria, sometimes Katy’s little sister. Here is some of her 1956 looks (Source).

Source: Flickr

1950s Wedding Party. Bride, Groom, Bridesmaid and Flower Girl and their 1950s outfits. I’m getting a Marvelous Mrs Maisel vibe with these dolls.

Click HERE to see more of the outfits (P.S. the set is no longer available but you can still see the listing).

Source: Etsy

The 1960’s

Now here is the 1960s Bridal Party paper doll set. Fun 1960s fashions!

Source: eBay

I don’t know who Tina is but she has some cute 1960s outfits & hairstyles for her collection of paper doll fashions.

Pick your 1960s hairtyles for Tina (what look do you like?).

1960s Fashions for Springtime, Vacation and Christmas Looks.

Source: Bonanza.com

I cannot possibly end this post without sharing BARBIE paper dolls. The ultimate doll in paper form.

Here is a 1964 Barbie & her little sister Skipper.

Source: Bonanza.com

I will now leave you with the Paper Doll Song by the Mills Brothers. Enjoy!

PLUS..Please share in the comment section below if you were a collector ( I would love to know!).

Source: Etsy

Liz