Fabric Toys and Dolls

Rare Schoenhut Humpty Dumpty Circus Collection We are proud to offer a wonderful collection of early 20th Century Schoenhut German Humpty Dumpty toy collection, handmade from various materials. This collection includes 2 clowns, a ring master, 2 ladders, 6 stools, 2 chairs, a horse, a donkey and a poodle. It’s rare to find such a vast collection in close to untouched condition. Size in inches: Figures: H 9” x W 4” x D 2”, horses: H 9” x W 2.5” x D 2.5”, poodle: H 5” x W 7” x D 2.5” Ladders H 12” x W 2” x D 0.3”, chairs: H 5” x W 3” x D 3”, stools: H 2.5” x W 2.5” x D 2.5” Origin: German Period: 1910-1920 Material: Wood, cotton and fur Condition: These items are completely solid in structure and form if not a bit worn due to its age and natural use. For the age of these items these examples are in close to unused condition and have obviously been very well taken care of. The horses necks are loose in stability but firmly in place. Wear around the stools is also present. With light fading and chips across all the items as you would expect from toys that are over 100 years old. Close up photos have been supplied to illustrate these points so please observe carefully and propose questions to us if needed. History: Albert Schoenhut, a German immigrant, began producing piano toys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1872. Thereafter, Schoenhut's toy production expanded to include dolls, dollhouses, blocks, and other wooden toys. In 1903, the firm applied for a patent for a clown toy that would become one of the most popular American toys of all time. By 1904, the company was producing the Humpty Dumpty Circus in great numbers. The circus, at that time, included the clown, elephant, white horse, poodle, and hobo. Humpty Dumpty success The Humpty Dumpty Circus was a great hit. The circus personal grew over the years to include a Lady Circus Rider, Lady Acrobat, Ringmaster, Gent Acrobat, Negro Dude (a minstrel), Chinese Acrobat, and a Lion Tamer. Animals included an Alligator, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Buffalo, Bulldog, Burro, Arabian Camel, Bactrian Camel, Cat, Cow, Deer, Donkey, Elephant, Giraffe, Gazelle, Goat, Goose, Gorilla, Hippopotamus, Brown Horse, White horse, hyena, Kangaroo, Leopard, Lion, Monkey, Ostrich, Pig, Poodle, Rabbit, Rhinoceros, Sea Lion, Sheep, Tiger, Wolf, Zebra, and a Zebu. The 1906 "Everybody's Magazine" ad shown above illustrates some of the performers available at that time. Most early animals had glass eyes which were all changed to a hand painted eye by the 1920s. Even the painted eyes were changed to a decaled eye in many animals as another cost savings measure. Over the years, the Schoenhut company made many other wooden toys including wooden doll houses...

Smaller type "portable" carnival bean toss game with three figures; a Frenchman on one end, an Asian looking gentleman on the other end, and a clown in the middle. all are wearing their period original clothing in excellent condition. The hand painted papier mâché faces are also in excellent and original hand painted condition; quite extraordinary considering they are waiting to be knocked down by a ball or a bean bag. The top canopy is hand painted blue and the thin curtain wood border is hand painted in red; there are some applied gold "stars" but most of them are missing (see image). This type of game would have been prevalent at carnivals during the turn of the century and later. The original brightly colored lithographed paper front, consists of an old lady and her black cat standing in the doorway; and two targets in place atop the painted picket fence with a garden behind. This is attached to a wood frame. This frame is also attached, in an easel like fashion, to another wood frame that folds down flat; a piece of string holds it on one side from opening all the way when it is put "in play". The French looking figure, in conjunction with the popularity of these carnival games...

These dressmaker mannequins are raised on a cylindrical lacquered green metal pedestal. Whether used for the creation and alteration of garments, draped fabrics pinned in to the ...