Doll:Schoenhut Miss Dolly 21/316

Philadelphia toy maker A. Schoenhut first modeled its dolls, introduced in 1911, after real children. Though the dolls had very realistic qualities, the company soon became concerned that the dolls might not appeal to young girls who preferred "prettier" models. German "dolly face" dolls, though not particularly lifelike, had very lovely faces and enjoyed great popularity amongst American girls. When World War I broke out, however, government restrictions prevented German products from entering the United States. Schoenhut noticed that, while the supply of German dolls dwindled, demand remained high. Taking full advantage of the situation, the company introduced Miss Dolly in 1915, a doll modeled after the Germany dolly-face example. The doll achieved two objectives, introducing a "prettier" doll into the Schoenhut line and filling the void left by the loss of German imports. Miss Dolly remained in production until 1928.