Paper dolls are made of paper or various other materials such as light cardstock, wood or plastic. They are two-dimensional cut-out objects that are typically accompanied by different clothing items that are also made from paper. Paper dolls are not only in the form of people but can also appear as animals or other inanimate objects.
In 1810, the first paper doll was manufactured in London and the first American paper doll followed in 1812. It is believed that the paper dolls are inspired by the paper images used in Asian rituals and origami made in Japan. The paper dolls we refer to today, were originally made in France out of jointed paper, but they also had clothing options to reflect the fashion trends of the time. Paper dolls became increasingly popular during the Great Depression and World War II due to their affordability and entertainment. Over the years they have taken the shape of celebrities, influenced Disney characters and the Barbie doll, as well as appeared in magazines, newspapers, and comic books for entertainment and educational purposes.
Henri Nestle developed an infant food to substitute for breast milk in 1867 and soon after established Nestle’s Milk Food Company to distribute the product in European countries. Nestle’s formula came to the United States in the 1870s. Paper dolls with the company’s name and product information printed on the back were just one method Nestle’s employed to advertise formula. After they started selling chocolate in 1904 and merged with another company to form the Nestle Group in 1950, infant formula was still one of the company’s premier products.
Patent medicines were proprietary formulas that may have been trademarked by their manufacturers. Popular throughout the 1800s and the early 1900s, they could be purchased without prescriptions. Consumer protection laws did not require that they were tested for effectiveness or that the ingredients were listed on the packaging. Some ingredients, such as spices and vegetable oil were not harmful, but alcohol was a common ingredient as were cocaine, laudanum, and morphine. Manufacturers of patent medicines were pioneers of advertising and made broad and fantastic claims regarding their products. Some of these products were even marketed to parents to soothe infants. In 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Pure Food and Drug Act. This and subsequent legislation and regulation throughout the twentieth century, as well as improved medical care, brought an end to many patent medicines.
The Paper Dolls and Advertising Collection (5 linear feet) contains a variety of paper dolls and advertising cards made to advertise Nestle’s food for infants (formula), as well as paper dolls and other advertisements for a variety of patent and over the counter medicines. The paper dolls advertising Nestle’s formula have text in several languages, including French, Italian and German. The size of paper dolls in the collection varies from a few inches to 2 feet tall. The collection is accompanied by copies of several magazine articles discussing the history of paper dolls used to advertise formula and patent medicines. The patent medicine advertisements are in the form of dolls, catalogs, and news clippings and claim to cure a wide range of illnesses and medical complaints. Books and booklets found in the collection include Infant Feeding and Hygiene, the Story of Clara Barton and the Little Golden Books Doctor Dan and Nurse Nancy that came with samples of Band-Aid brand bandages, among others. There is also an anatomical chart titled “Man Wonderful Manikin-A Chart of the Human Body for the Study of Physiology and Anatomy” published by the New York: Fowler and Wells Co.
This collection is arranged by item.
The collection is open to the public and is available for viewing in the Medical Heritage Center. Materials do not circulate and must be used in the supervised reading room. Restrictions, including copyright, may exist and some materials may be too fragile to photocopy or digitize. The MHC charges for duplication services, which must be performed by staff.
[Identification of item], Paper Dolls and Advertising Collection, SPEC.202412.PAPER, Medical Heritage Center, Health Sciences Library, The Ohio State University.