Doll:Peddler Doll

Most 19th-century makers of peddler dolls began with a mass-produced, small figure made of wood, papier mache, leather, or china and added the handmade red cloak, black bonnet, white lace cap, calico dress, and apron of the traditional "notion nannies." The fun of making the peddler doll was in crafting the dozens (sometimes hundreds) of tiny notions, buttons, fabrics, laces, ribbons, and pots and pans that the peddler offered for sale. Peddler dolls displayed their merchandise on large trays hung from a strap around their necks, in baskets on their arms, or in larger bins displayed at their feet and protected by a glass dome. The doll form seems to have been most popular from about 1820 to 1860.