doll: Bebe Jumeau

Emile Jumeau took over the Jumeau doll company when his father retired around 1877. He demonstrated the same zest and determination of his father. Emile became best known for his Bébés. For years, the emphasis had been on the mature lady type doll with a bisque heads and kid bodies. These dolls were shaped to accent the elegant French fashions of the time. Emile began to produce dolls in a child-like form. The Bébés had bisque heads with composition or wood-jointed bodies held together by elastic. The heads could be turned from side to side and the bodies were flexible at the joints, enabling a child to put the Bébé into different positions. In 1899, Jumeau joined a coalition in attempt to cut production costs and to meet German competition. These doll manufacturers became known as the Societe Francaise de Fabrication de Bebes et Jouets (SFBJ).

The Jumeau Doll” written by Margaret Whitton and published by The Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in 1980 provides a comprehensive overview of Jumeau and The Strong’s Jumeau collection.