{{short description|2D figure made from paper or thin card}} {{Other uses}} [[File:Girlgenderrole3.jpg|thumb|A girl playing with paper dolls]] '''Paper dolls''' are figures cut out of paper or thin card with separate clothes, also made of paper, that are usually held onto the [[doll]]s by paper folding tabs.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.thefreedictionary.com/paper+doll|title=Paper doll|publisher=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|access-date=2012-05-19}}</ref> They may be a figure of a person, animal or inanimate object.<ref name="OPDAG">{{cite web| url= http://www.opdag.com/History.html|title=History of paper dolls|publisher=OPDAG |access-date=2012-05-19}}</ref>
Paper dolls have been used for [[advertising]], appearing in [[magazines]] and [[newspapers]], and covering a variety of subjects and time periods. Over the years, they have been used to reinforce cultural beliefs regarding the appearance of ideal women.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/history-paper-dolls-and-popular-culture|title=History of Paper Dolls and Popular Culture|website=National Women's History Museum|date=20 November 2016 |language=en|access-date=2018-09-19}}</ref>
Some flat plastic figures are similar to paper dolls, like [[Colorforms]] figures and [[Flatsy doll]]s, but these are imitations and not considered characteristic of the paper doll art form.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=syVQ9wjPnYIC&pg=PA80 |title=Dictionary of toys and games in American popular culture |author=Frederick J. Augustyn |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |pages=80–81 |isbn=9780789015044 }}</ref>
==History== [[Image:Norma-DOLLS.jpg|thumb|left|1919 magazine illustration of actress [[Norma Talmadge]] and some of her film costumes in paper doll form]] Paper dolls have been around as long as there has been paper, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years by some estimates. Faces or other objects were applied to the paper and used during religious rituals and ceremonies in Asian cultures many centuries ago.{{cn|date=July 2025}} The [[Japan]]ese used paper for [[origami]], the art of paper folding, and dating back to 800 AD they folded paper figurines in the shape of [[kimono]]. [[Balinese people]] made paper and leather into puppets since before the Christian Era. Other cultures around the world have had paper formations or paper art, including in [[Poland]], where they were called [[Vytynanky (Wycinanki)|Wycinanki]]. {{cn|date=July 2025}} These early types of paper figures differ from typical modern paper dolls, as no clothes were made to be used with the dolls.
The first manufactured paper doll was “Little Fanny”, produced by S&J Fuller, London, in 1810.<ref name="OPDAG"/> In Europe, particularly France, the first paper dolls were popular since the mid-18th century. The oldest known paper doll card is hosted by [[Germanisches Nationalmuseum]] and was printed around 1650 in [[Southern Germany]], showing two female figures with a number of dresses, pieces of headgear, hairstyles and accessories.<ref>{{cite book | last =Zander-Seidel | first =Jutta | title =In Mode: Kleider und Bilder aus Renaissance und Frühbarock | publisher =Germanisches Nationalmuseum | date =2015 | location =Nuremberg | pages =179–180 | language =de | isbn =978-3-936688-96-2}}</ref> The paper was jointed and called ''pantins,'' meaning dancing or [[Jumping jack (toy)|jumping jack]] puppet. They were intended to entertain adults and spread throughout high society. They were drawn or painted like people with fashions for each doll. These were more similar to contemporary Western paper dolls. Rare hand-painted sets of paper figures dating to the late 1780s can be found in some museums.<ref>[http://www.abc.es/hemeroteca/historico-07-01-2008/abc/Madrid/la-historia-a-traves-de-los-recortables_1641541618863.html La historia a través de los recortables] (in Spanish)</ref>
"The History and Adventures of Little Henry", by J. Belcher was the first American toy that included paper dolls. Published in 1812, this book prompted children to act out various scenes with the paper dolls that were included.<ref name=":0"/>
The biggest American producer of paper dolls, [[McLoughlin Brothers]], were founded in early 1800 and sold to [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]] in the 1920s. Around this time paper dolls became popular in the US and then grew in popularity in the following decades. The rise of paper doll production in the mid-19th century to mid-20th century was partially due to technological advances that made printing significantly less expensive.<ref name=":0" /> [[Image:Paper-doll-3.jpg|thumb|right|Paper doll with clothes]] Book publishing companies that followed in the production of paper dolls or cut-outs were Lowe, [[Whitman Publishing|Whitman]], [[Saalfield Publishing|Saalfield]] and [[Bobbs-Merrill Company|Merrill]] among others. [[Movie star]]s and celebrities became the focus in the early days of paper dolls in the USA. Paper dolls are still produced and Whitman and Golden Co. still publish paper dolls.
Other than movie stars, women of leisure tended to be the ones featured in paper doll form. As more women began to enter the work force in the twentieth-century, paper doll manufacturers began to produce dolls that represented career women. The [[women's rights movement]] in mid-20th century was partially responsible for instigating this change. Brides were another common figure often represented in paper doll form.<ref name=":0" />
==Convention== A paper doll convention has been held every year in the United States since 1979, with two being held in 1980, 1981, and 1982.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paper Doll Convention and Parties |url=https://www.opdag.com/convention.html |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=www.opdag.com}}</ref> In 2016, one was held in [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://10times.com/doll-convention|title = Paper Doll Convention}}</ref>
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== See also == * [[Jumping jack (toy)]] * [[Margaret G. Hays]] (1874-1925) - most famous American female paper doll manufacturer * [[Grace Drayton]] (1877-1936) - second most famous female American paper doll maker, sister of Margaret and apprentice to Tom Tierney * [[Tom Tierney (artist)|Tom Tierney]] (1928-2014) - The reputed "[[king]]" of paper doll artists, responsible for training and supporting many respected paper doll manufacturers * [[Fashion doll]] * [[Dress-Up]] * [[Kewpie]] *[[Shikigami]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Paper dolls}} * [http://www.opdag.com/ The Original Paper Doll Artists Guild] *[https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/scrc/findingaids/view.php?eadid=ICU.SPCL.PAPERDOLLS Guide to the Paper Dolls Collection mid 19th century] at the [https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/scrc/ University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paper Doll}} [[Category:Paper art|Doll, paper]] [[Category:Traditional dolls]] [[Category:Paper toys|Doll, paper]] [[Category:Traditional toys]]