Historical information

When celluloid was invented and first came to prominence in the 1870s, dolls were nearly all breakable and fragile--bisque and china dolls were easily shattered and papier mache and wax easily ruined. So doll companies started experimenting with celluloid to mould dolls. By the early 1900s, celluloid dolls were plentiful, since celluloid was easily moulded and generally inexpensive. Celluloid is one of the first synthetic plastics. It is a plastic created from wood products that includes cellulose nitrate and camphor. However Celluloid is flammable and deteriorates easily if exposed to moisture, and can be prone to cracking and yellowing with certain formulations. Celluloid dolls were produced as late as the 1950s, but the vast majority were produced from 1900 through the 1940s.

The knitted outfit was made by an unrecorded home knitter probably as a present for a child.

Physical description

A very small celluloid doll dressed as a boy in fine hand -knitted hat, vest, jacket and pants.