Doll:Campbell Kid

An immediately recognizable advertising figure even to this day, this Campbell (Soup) Kid dates to around 1910. She has her original clothes and typical molded hair and painted features, including the sideways-glancing eyes that are a hallmark of the illustrator who inspired her creation: Grace Drayton. Drayton, perhaps best known for her similarly drawn Dolly Dingle paper doll series, depicted robust, cherubic-faced children that represented society's new ideas about children's health and exercise in the early 20th century. In 1905 her drawings won over Campbell Soup Company advertisers who were looking for a way to reach their largest clientele: mothers concerned about nutritious meals for their families. In 1910 toy manufacturer Horsman capitalized on the popularity of the Campbell Kids and made the first official doll from designs by Helen Trowbridge. The cloth-bodied dolls had "Can't Break 'Em" heads made of composition, a mixture of wood pulp and glue. Horsman often fashioned costumes for the dolls after Drayton's illustrations. Although the Campbell Kids' physiques and costumes have changed with the times, they are still an important and highly collectible part of Campbell's advertising.