The Duchess Doll Corp. made small composition and hard plastic dolls, 1948-1960s.
Here is one of the dressed for display as a Brazilian dancer. Also shown is another undressed Duchess doll with mohair wig, sleep eyes, and molded-painted shoes. These 7 in. hard plastic dolls were made with one piece bodies and legs.
The 14 in. vinyl woman from Normandy has strung elastic arms and legs. However, she is made with pinned clothing, not meant to be removed. The 11 in. vintage male from Greece has a cloth body and a molded, mask face. His traditional Greek clothing is impressive. A Welsh friend brought me the 7 in. souvenir doll in front from a visit to his homeland. She stands on a music box that plays, Land of My Fathers. 
Here we have a collection of North American Indian dolls. In front we have a 7.5 in. Ojibwa couple with cloth bodies and leather clothes. Their tag reads, Curve Lake Reserve near Peterborough, Ontario. In the middle is a 6 in. hard plastic child with sleep eyes and a Fort Ligonier, PA head band. Last we have two papooses on the back of their mother, who is wearing leather with fur trim. In the back is a 7 in. hard plastic Old Crow Chief by Carlson Dolls. The tag reads, “Hand crafted with the founders of America in mind to keep Americans aware of their heritage.”
These three 5 to 8 in. Macarena dancers from Spain are by Marin. The bar of soap in center front is scented with Maja, a perfume from Barcelona – my favorite scent.
Left to right we have the 1986 Orange Girl from the Cries of London series, House of Nisbet; 7.5 in. Jane Seymour by Odette Arden, Rexard Ltd.; and 8 in. 1986 Marie Antoinette, House of Nisbet.
Peggy Nisbet made her first doll in1952 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. It was so well received that she continued making them. By the 1970’s and 1980’s her dolls were collected all over the world. Left to right we have the 8 in. 1986 Yeoman Warder from the doll series, Uniforms of Great Britain, House of Nisbet; 1992 8 in. Scottish Girl, Nisbet National Costume series; and 1986 8 in. Palace Guard, also from Uniforms of Great Britain.
The dominant dolls in the center are a pair of 7 to 8 in. prune dolls. These are made of dried prunes threaded on wire, with walnuts for heads. In Germany such dolls were given to children on Christmas morning as a mid-winter edible treat. The 5 in. couple on the left with beautiful details are from the Lalki region of Poland. The 5.5 in. couple on the right, made of cloth with felt and wool outfits, are from Mexico.
In front we have a 6 in. well dressed celluloid Dutch doll, a 7 in. plastic Spanish doll, and an 8 in. French Can-Can dancer. In back we have an 8.5 in. compo Finnish Martha doll, an 8 in. plastic doll from Florence, and a 7.5 in. couple with bead head and leather hands. from Sofia, Bulgaria.
Five of my 1940’s ethnic dolls are displayed here. In the back we have a 7 in. Dutch compo doll, an 8 in. stockinette doll marked “Soviet Union Vovonej girl,” and a 8.5 in. Mexican all cloth girl doll. In the front we have 5 in. and 4.5 in. dolls from China. Their bodies are constructed from padded wire. The heads, hands, and feet are made of clay. The feet have unique embedded wires that protrude in the back to help them stand.
During the 1930’s, 1940’s and later, many dolls dressed in regional costumes were available as souvenirs and many were unmarked. Shown here in the back row is a 6.5 in. bullfighter from Spain, an 8 in. Palace Guard from England, and a 6.5 in. Breton man from France. In front is a 5 in. hazelnut-head witch doll from Salem, Mass. The miniature House of Seven Gables was the title of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous book concerning the witch trials.
