Dolls as toys and as mirror of fashion

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Dolls have always been around. As a marketable toy for children, they became more and more elaborate in the 18th century. Dolls for the wealthy were elegantly dressed, including ruffles, panniers, rich lace and tiny shoes with buckles. True ambassadors of fashion were the so-called Pandora dolls, early mini-mannequins used by dressmakers to send their designs to customers.

Dolls to Play with

The quality of a doll depended on the target group. For children of the middle class, doll makers produced dolls that were sturdy and relatively inexpensive in the late 18th century. These toys had rough wooden bodies, with arms fastened to them by nails. The clothes were not removable.

For wealthier clients, dolls had heads and hands made of wax, while the bodies were softer, made from papier-mâché or cloth. The most expensive dolls featured glass eyes. The hair was either painted or made from flax or wool, sometimes even from real hair. The clothing was elaborate, with full elbow ruffles over wide panniers and petticoats trimmed with lace and ruffles in the same fabric. According to the fashion of the period, dolls would wear e.g. a cap of wired and stiffened net and lace.

Jointed doll made of wood, with painted hair; made around 1810. The dress is from 1820-25.
detail of the embroidered hem and puff-sleeve

Dolls as Companion for Life

While we tend to see dolls as children’s toys, they were often a constant companion to their owner in the 18th century. It was not unusual for wealthy women to collect dolls, dressing them in miniature fashionable outfits of the day using fabric from their own clothes. To accessorise the dolls and show off their taste, they often also collected miniature furniture and household utensils. For some women, it was a way to commemorate their own wardrobes and lives.

Doll from around 1770, hands and face made of wax.
detail of the white skirt and the sleeve with ruffles and a blue ribbon

Dolls with Jobs: the Pandora Doll

Besides dolls that served as toys, there were those designed to present the latest fashion trends. The so-called Pandora doll became very popular in the 18th century. Dressmakers replicated clothes in minute detail and shipped them to customers outside their towns and even to other countries. This allowed customers to feel the fabric and see the design before placing an order.
Pandora dolls fell out of use when fashion magazines became cheaply available in the last decades of the 18th century. An amusing side note: Napoleon banned the Pandora doll because he feared that state secrets could be sewn into the dresses and smuggled out of the country.

doll from around the 1740s-1760s, dress made of silk, hands and face made of wax
Detail of the front, the ruffles and the gloves
doll from the mid-18th century wearing a white cap and a blue dress; sleeves with ruffles and pink ribbons; hands and face made of wax
Mid-18th century doll made of wood; painted hair; dress made of silk.

Related articles

Object of Interest: The Devil Among the Tailors
Fashion Meets Scientific Progress: The “Spy Fan”
From Education to War Gaming: Tin Toys in the Long 18th Century
Fashion for a Fashionable Item
The world of fashion in the 18th century – Part 2: Accessories for Ladies

Sources

Article by Anna M. Thane, author of the novel
“Von tadellosem Ruf” (http://amzn.to/2TXvrez)