Left: the queen of all celebrity dolls, Shirley Temple. This is the 16" composition version made by Ideal in the 1930s. Right: W.C. Fields by Gwen Flather, all cloth, probably 1950s or '60s.

Celebrity dolls are fun to collect, and give a glimpse into the popular culture of the 20th century. The can be made from any material, and can represent any famous person. The most common celebrity dolls are of movie and television stars, but there are also dolls of musical idols, politicians, sports stars, royalty and models (remember Twiggy? She was made into both vinyl and paper doll versions.)

Copyright 2006 by Zendelle Bouchard.