doll: Frozen Charlotte

Around 1850, unjointed dolls made entirely of China (glazed porcelain) were developed in Germany. These dolls were designed to resemble babies or small children. These dolls became known as badekinder or bathing dolls. They could be completely submerged in water and were designed to float so that children could play with them at the beach, in the bath, or in a pail of water. In the United States, the dolls were referred to as Frozen Charlotte. The term was based on an old folk ballad prevalent in the Northeast—a young woman froze to death on a sleigh ride to a ball.