Oct 052012
In the early to mid-twentieth century, Effanbee made some of the world’s best and most popular composition dolls, including Grumpy, Bubbles, the Patsy family and Little Lady.
The company was started in 1910 by two businessmen who operated neighboring shops on Atlantic City’s boardwalk. Bernard Fleischaker and Hugo Baum began by selling toys and dolls; within a couple of years they were having doll heads made especially for them, and by the 1920s were making their own composition parts. Although the company was officially called Fleischaker and Baum, they began using the trademark EFFanBee (from the first letters of their last names) by 1915, and eventually that became the name of the company.
Read about rubber, hard plastic, and vinyl dolls by Effanbee here.
Click on a photo to view a larger version.
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In the teens and early twenties, many Effanbee dolls were composition copies of popular German bisque head dolls, like Grumpy, who was produced in several sizes and variations. The doll at left is Baby Grumpy. |
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Coquette is another copy of a German bisque doll. The same doll was also sold as Naughty Marietta. |
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The kid bodied doll has a composition shoulder head, arms and lower legs. She dates from 1920. This is the type of doll that had been imported from Germany, and became unavailable during World War I. |
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Bubbles was a huge success for Effanbee beginning in 1926. Bubbles has an interesting composition shoulder plate that extends down under her arms. She was sold as a bent leg baby as well as a straight leg toddler. As with many early Effanbee dolls, a lot of variations exist. Bubbles was sculpted by Bernard Lipfert, who also designed Shirley Temple for Ideal, the Dionne Quintuplets for Madame Alexander, and Effanbee’s Patsy. |
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In 1928, Effanbee came out with a doll that was so original she would vault them to the forefront of the business. The doll was 14″ Patsy, and she was a sensation. Patsy was so popular that Effanbee introduced several other “family members” – similar dolls in different sizes, including 19″ Patsy Ann, pictured far left, and 22″ Patsy Lou, pictured near left. Patsy was extensively copied by other manufacturers. She also has a place in history as the first modern fashion doll, for whom extra outfits were sold.Photos courtesy of Withington Auction, Inc. |
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Skippy, a comic strip character created by Percy L. Crosby, was advertised as Patsy’s boy friend. At first he was made using Patsy’s body, but later versions have a cloth torso. Skippy was often sold in uniform, including as an aviator, baseball player, soldier and sailor. |
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9″ Patsyette (far left) & 6″ Wee Patsy are two of the smaller members of Patsy’s extended family. They were produced mostly as girls, but occasionally as boy-and-girl sets. Photos courtesy of Withington Auction, Inc. |
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Patsy Babykin was the first all-composition baby in the Patsy line, in 1932. Prior to her introduction, there had been a cloth-bodied Patsy Baby available briefly. The all-compo version is marked Patsy Baby but was advertised and sold as Patsy Babykin. Photos courtesy of Nancy McKee and Withington Auction, Inc. |
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Patsy Babyette (far left) and Patsy Tinyette are the other babies in the Patsy family. Patsy Tinyette is marked Baby Tinyette but was never sold under that name by Effanbee. She was sold initially as a bent-leg baby, and later as a straight-leg toddler. Tinyette photo courtesy of Lisa Hanson. Check out Lisa’s eBay listings. |
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Patricia, introduced in late 1934, was advertised as Patsy’s older sister. She is 15″ tall and has a different face from the other Patsy family girls. There were also dolls sold with Patsy marked heads and Patricia marked bodies; these are known as Patsy-Patricias by collectors. |
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Clippo the Clown (1937) is one of a series of marionettes designed by Virginia Austin. The others in the series are Emily Ann, Liza Lee and Lucifer. They have composition heads, hands and feet, with wooden body parts connected by cloth tape. |
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The Historical Series of dolls are 14″ tall and represent different periods in American history. Pictured at left is the New York Settlement, 1625 doll. They were produced in 1939. Photos courtesy of Withington Auction, Inc. |
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14″ Suzanne (pictured) and 12″ Suzette are all-composition girl dolls made by Effanbee in the early 1940s. Suzette can have either painted eyes or sleep eyes. The same doll was also used for Effanbee’s Portrait Series. |
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Brother and his companion, Sister, were wartime dolls that had composition heads with cotton floss wigs and cloth bodies. A larger girl doll was made with the same construction as well. |
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Butin-Nose, sometimes called Betty Butin-nose, is an 8″ all composition doll with molded hair. She was sold in various outfits as well as international costumes, and was sometimes sold in pairs as a boy and girl. Photos courtesy of Withington Auction, Inc. |
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Candy Kid from 1946 is a 14″ all-composition molded hair toddler, who may be dressed as a boy or girl. A black version was made as well. Candy Kids were also made in vinyl in the ’50s. Photo courtesy of Lisa Hanson. Check out Lisa’s eBay listings. |
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Mickey had a composition head and hands, and a cloth body. Some dolls had compo legs as well. Mickey was made in various sizes and often had flirty eyes. The same doll was also sold under the names Tommy Tucker and Baby Bright Eyes. Mickey had a twin sister too, sometimes called Katie and sometimes Janie, who wore a matching outfit. In the ’60s Effanbee sold a vinyl Mickey, who was a completely different doll. Photo courtesy of Lisa Hanson. Check out Lisa’s eBay listings. |
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In 1935, the company entered into a contract with independent doll artist Dewees Cochran to design the American Children series of dolls. These dolls had hard rubber arms with separated fingers, with the rest of the doll made of composition. Effanbee continued this construction with their Little Lady (pictured left) dolls that sold through WWII. |
Read about rubber, hard plastic, and vinyl dolls by Effanbee here.
Sources for this page include: |
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 Effanbee Dolls The Formative Years 1910-1929 by Patricia N. Schoonmaker More info from Amazon or Find it on eBay. |
 Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Composition Dolls 1900-1950 by Ursula R. Mertz More info from Amazon or Find it on eBay. |
 Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Composition Dolls 1900-1950, Volume II by Ursula R. Mertz More info from Amazon or Find it on eBay. |
Copyright 2012 by Zendelle Bouchard
I have all 5 Dionne Quintuplet Effenbee Baby Tinyette Dolls in their original diapers and felt-like jackets with pink ties. They have movable heads, arms, and legs, and are in perfect condition. They are porcelain. They are in their orginial suitcase-type box with blanket, receiving blankets and extra diapers. Can you help me find out how much they are worth or recommend a trustworthy antique doll appraiser who can help me?
Brenda, your dolls are made from a material called composition, not porcelain. It is a mixture of sawdust, glue and other materials, that was poured into a mold and baked, then painted with enamels. For an accurate appraisal, an appraiser would need to see the dolls in person. Go to http://ufdc.org/home/regional-map/ and scroll down to find the contact information for the UFDC Regional Director for your area. They should be able to refer you to someone locally. Thanks for writing!