Doll carriage

At about the time in American history when parents developed an idealized view of their own children as beautiful, unspoiled beings to be cherished and loved, manufacturers produced furniture and apparatus sized exactly for pampering youngsters. Prams, or carriages, for example, especially ornate ones, not only enabled proud parents to show off their charming toddlers, but they often broadcasted the family's prosperity and good taste. Carriages like the one in the photograph, made specifically for little girls to use with their dolls, communicated the same values while also encouraging the youngsters to imitate their mothers' child-caring skills.