Male dolls

[Heidi Hollister]

I have finished making a female doll and I've discovered that she makes a wonderful guinea pig for the patterns I want to try.  I made up a naim coat for her and I'm in love.  But here's the problem.  I'm now in love with the idea of using a doll for technique practice before committing large amounts of fabric to a project.  And so Alice Oliva was born, and I saw that it was good. But lo, I looked and saw that it was not good for woman to be alone, and so I said "I will make for her a companion."

I understand that male dolls are incredibly rare, but I am toying with the idea of making one so I can practice making men's clothing in miniature before cutting out 4 yards of good wool on a frock coat that I may ruin with my inability. 

I'm wondering what a male doll from the 1840s-60s would look like so I can make mine look like a decent representation of the rare phenomenon.

[Marta Vincent]

LOL!!!!!!

[Elizabeth]

Honestly? Most of the boy dolls from the era look like girl dolls with inked-on mustaches and sideburns. Male impersonators, if you will, but retaining tidy nipped in waists and hips and all. It's rather vastly amusing.

[Heide Presse]

Heidi...if you can, please post a photo of Alice Oliva. I love to see doll creations...and it's so much fun to make clothing for them!

[Stormi Souter]

Susan of "Annabells World" makes really truly lovely reproduction doll heads, she carries a male head, I'm not sure if it's early 60s appropriate or not though. And the contact page on the website isn't working, I can try and see if I have her email lurking in an address book somewhere if you'd like, :

http://www.anabellsworld.com/doll/Porcelain%20Doll%27s.html

I've been happy with my porcelain doll from her, though:

http://whynotthen.com/Main/Drucilla

-Stormi

[Heidi Hollister]

Wow Stormi, thanks!  Is that $70 for a completely sewn doll?  I'll have to save up for that.  That's a better price than I've found elsewhere so far.  I made up a cloth doll, but had I read the original instructions I'd have known better and put a stick up her neck to keep it from flopping around after she was stuffed with bran.  I think that little Barnabus fellow is adorable!  Anybody know if he is Mid 19th century appropriate?

ok... So it sounds like if I were to make a male cloth doll, I should use a female pattern and give him facial hair...

[Jessamyn]

Just a few odds & ends...

Down on this page there's a (nominally) male doll c1865:
http://www.debrasdolls.com/dolls/china_parian.html

Totally amazing youthful Kris Kringle doll from 1852 (oh, I wish we could see the toys up close!):
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/index.html?id=1692

Wonderful male and female dolls from the 1840s, their heads carved from nuts, items 9 and 10 on this page:
http://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/355/slideshow/327/display?format=list&prev_object_id=631&prev_object=page&slide_num=1

[Heidi Hollister]

Ooh!  The nut doll is inspiring!

[mmescher]

Male dolls from the time period are incredibly rare (not many Kens yet).  The Museum of the Confederacy has a "General Beauregard" doll that was a female body dressed in men's clothing.  I've seen a few male china heads but the number of female heads vastly outnumber them.  This is just a guess, but it may be possible that parents might have considered it improper for their daughter to be working with men's clothing and undressing a male figure, hence no need to have male dolls.  I've also seen some male rolled fabric dolls that had legs and male clothing.

But in using it for a guinea pig, if all you want to do is get a general idea of the appearance of the pattern, just use the female doll (ala General Beauregard) and imagine it male. 

Michael Mescher

[Stormi Souter]

Wow Stormi, thanks!  Is that $70 for a completely sewn doll? 

Actually, it's $35. ;-) I don't know how she sells them so cheaply, but I'm glad she does!

[Heidi Hollister]

WOW!  Stormi, that's amazing... I am going to have to ask the birthday fairy to get me one!

Ok... That I can do.  Female doll, imagine it male.   Or make a female body and paint a male head on it... 

I shall post pictures of Alice Olivia just as soon as I figure out how to make the computer the photos are on talk to the computer that the internet is on.

[The Sewing-Bird.]

I'll look to see if I saved the image, but I remember seeing a male doll dressed in Federal uniform—a fad for wartime. He was handsome! China, same rosey-chubby cheeks as the female dolls, but made with a proper side-parted male hairstyle. *crosses fingers*

[lillian]

Male dolls
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/virtu-doll/item/Pkpm409
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/joysdolls/item/C-A141
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/joysdolls/item/C-GW68
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/sarabernsteindolls/item/KH405
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/cali4nigrl/item/766

Could be male
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/turnofthecenturyantiques/item/319

[Michelle Whitaker]

Ooo I like those heads lillian. I think it would be neat to have a pair (couple) of dolls.

[MrsPeebles]

Ms. Souter, mank kind thanks for the links to the reproduction heads and bodies. I know that I'm going to need those when I have grandchildren! Which, I am in NO hurry for, I might add.