Audio tour Paper doll

The first mass-produced paper dolls were manufactured in 1812 here in Boston.   Inexpensive to make and easy access were the main reasons they immediately became so popular. During the earliest years black Americans were rarely featured and if they were most were caricatures or backdrops for the main characters. So they would be servants  butler or mammy  maid.,even worse images of black children in paper dolls would often be ragged, unkempt hair, and dirty. 

It wouldn’t be until Jackie Zelda Ormes. The first African American syndicated cartoonist came along would we see sassy, smart, and glamorous images of a Strong Black Woman. Torchy Brown a social activist in the comic strip Torchy Togs would capture the heart of the country.  Not only did the public yearn for the paper dolls, but the popularity of all her characters also sparked the demand for the production of Patty jo, Benji, or Bonnie Lou hard plastic 15 “ stunning play dolls.

Paper dolls lost their steam during the late fifties and many attribute this to the introduction of the 12-inch fashion doll  Barbie.