Doll:American Children | Anne Shirley

Using her talents as a trained artist, doll maker Dewees Cochran (1892-1991) began making portrait dolls of real children for their wealthy parents during the 1930s. To speed production and hold down costs, Cochran eventually made six basic dolls each with a unique facial structure. By adding the appropriate color of hair, eyes, and complexion, Cochran could produce a portrait of just about any child. Her Look-Alike dolls succeeded, and she entered into a contract with the Effanbee Doll Company to make six dolls for an American Children series. In the three years of her association with Effanbee, she produced about 50,000 dolls.