Dolls are a prominent object of children’s play. When one thinks back to iconic childhood imagery, dolls are most likely somewhere in that schema. However, dolls are much more than just a plaything. By examining the context in which children play with dolls, much is revealed not only about the everyday practices of childhood, but also about the ideal child and their ideal childhood.
This project examines what dolls can reveal about historical, racialized childhoods. Because dolls are an object through which both beauty and gendered norms are so obviously expressed, examining who plays with what dolls, where these dolls are played with, and how these children play with these dolls can provide a detailed account of childhood. This project seeks to address the racialized nature of doll play between 1850 and 1950 in the United States. In order to accomplish this task, various accounts of doll play will be analyzed to see what they reveal about the ideal child. By studying dolls it was possible to uncover more details about material culture, social inequality, and building the national American identity during this time period.
A male doll with a painted black face named “Old Black Joe” circa 1900
Child seated beside table with table cloth holding a black rag doll. Photographer unidentified. 1852.