Four 1900's Handmade Paper Doll Dresses

Paper dolls and their costumes have been found from as early as the 1780’s so we know that people have been making them for at least 250 years. By the end of the 19th century, paper dolls were being manufactured by American companies including McLoughlin Brothers, Peter G. Thompson, Dennison Mfg and Frederick A Stokes and Company, but commercial dolls are an extravagance if you can cut people’s pictures from a magazine and make a wardrobe to fit, or better still, draw your own doll and then make the costumes. It is always a delight to find handmade paper dolls and their wardrobes or just the dresses themselves.

These four dresses were made for two different paper dolls. The two wider, green tissue ones are 3½” tall x 3 ½” to 4” wide at the bottom of their skirts. The thinner ones are 4 to 4 ½” tall x 2 ¼” to 3 ¼” wide at the bottom. All appear to date from the first decades of the 20th century. The green dresses are made from heavy tissue paper folded and tied to form pleats and bows. The orange and black sailor style drop waist dress is made of construction paper. All three are backed with thin paper silhouettes. The red dress is made from ten layers of crepe paper on both front and back. All slip over the head and drop over the shoulders.

The dresses are in very good condition for their age. Please examine the photos and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

While you are here, do take a look at the other paper doll dresses I have for sale at this time. Thank you for visiting my shop today.