The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-30
RAG DOLLS AND THEIR MAKERS.
An Appropriate Employment for
Women-Expansion Of the Business.
New York Commercial Advertiser.

New YORK commercial Advertiser.
There is q certain appropriateness in a
woman entering into the business OF
doll manufacture. Memories of her child
hood days will tell her how best to please
and attract the small persons for whom
her wares are intended. This Is more than
ever true when II comes TO the making OF
so-called rag dolls, which are in reality
not rag dolls at all, but dolls made entire
ly from top to toe of a very good quality
Of muslin and warranted to outwear many
a more expensive doll because OF the last
ing qualities Of their material. Several es-
adjustments for the manufacture of these
different parts of the country. But the
most Interesting Of these. since II was the
first In the field. Is that carried on by two
young women in Brooklyn.
Some six years ago one Of the managers
OF the present establishment conceived the
idea Of making cloth dolls for a church
fair. They were altogether a success and
found numbers OF eager purchasers. There
We're then no dolls OF the kind on sale in
the shops, and the experiment which had
proved so successful on a small scale gave
promise of larger profits. From so small
g beginning the originators of this rag
doll have seen the business grow until the
dolls are now found In all parts OF. the
the West and South. and competing firms
have sprung up which turn out dolls that
are largely patterned after those of the
Brooklyn make.
Women are employed almost exclusively
also in the various processes of manufac
ture. There is very little machine work
used in the Brooklyn shop. The cutting
however. is done by machinery. and 1t is
a curious sight to see the neatly stacked
piles OF fiattened-out arms, legs and bodies
just as they have issued from the cutters
The dolls never leave the workrooms un-
dressed. Yet that they may make theu
appearance in the showroom or on the
counter for which they are destined in
fresh and spotless attire no doll is clothed
until she is ordered from the factory. Con
-r-1 49, Gicnlo ohn1
after shelp Of closely packed articles OF
dolls apparel. and the piles of small bon
nets and dresses would doubtless fill q
childish beholder with ecstasy. Somewhat
grewsome, though, Is the aspect of the bis
bin where the dolls themselves are stacked
In the dim light the heap of white limb:
and END bodies, falling over one an
other in every imaginable attitude, forci
bly, recall the prophets vision of the valley
of bones. At this time of the year toys
of all kinds are less In demand than at any
other, and the bin. now but half full, viii
be piled to the top as the Christmas season
approaches.
The most interesting part of the making
of these cloth dolls is the putting on anC
the painting of the faces. The faces are
work, as also the stitching OF the dresses
may be taken away from the workrooms
One woman employed by the Brooklyn
house has become an expert at doing thu
faces, and has supported herself for some
time by that means. Before the painted
cloth is put or queer little pads covered
with pink muslin are fastened TO the heat
to give the well-rounded cheeks and thu
slight pinkish tinge to the implanted parts
of the face. Over this the face Is pinneS
In the cheaper dolls, or sewed in the mor
expensive ones. Cotton batting is useS
here exclusively for stufing the dolls, al
though sawdust or excelsior is preferred
by some firms as less expensive.
The work required in making the doll
Is neat and by no means difficult, and
large number of girls and women hav'
been enabled to find employment in thi
way. We are told hat a slightly differen
kind of cloth doll is made abroad. but i
has not yet reached the degree of excel
lence to which the American women hav
brought their invention.