PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Listed for your consideration is a vintage "Carlson Doll," made by the Carlson Manufacturing Company of Maple Lake, Minnesota. It is GEORGE WASHINGTON, number 8-103. He is dressed in a Colonial, Revolutionary War dress, beautifully made, in great detail, with wine-colored and black suede, braided gold trim, and flouncy white lace. He is wearing the tri-cornered hat of the era, also made of suede. The doll is jointed at the neck and arms and has eyes that open and close. It measures approximately 7-1/2 inches tall, excluding the hat. The doll comes with its' original paper leg tag and heart-shaped stand. The tag reads: "Another first by Carlson Manufacturing Company, Maple Lake, Minnesota. Assured Quality. Doll number: 8-103. Kind: George Washington".
CONDITION:
Very good condition. Some discoloration to the lace (see pics). No damage. Clean, no soil, no odors. Non-smoking environment.
HISTORY:
CARLSON DOLLS were and are made in Maple Lake, Minnesota by the Carlson Manufacturing Co, later the Carlson Doll Company. Back in 1946 Ray and Ann Carlson started their cottage industry company, but the first handmade dolls were not offered until 1950. Ann designed those collector dolls, which were quite historically accurate in their dress, and were sold in vacation spots, tourist sites, national parks, historic sites, gift shops and such throughout the United States.
Local women from the area did much of the hand work, cutting leather, stitching, constructing fur outfits, and sewing clothing. At least two Native American families were involved in the design and manufacture of the Indian dolls. Beginning in the 1950s, Carlson Manufacturing Co. produced a variety of dolls dressed in costumes to represent various Indian cultural groups. However, they produced non-Indian dolls as well, often dressed in period costumes of the Revolutionary War but encompassing Frontier figures, Civil War figures, and even military personnel from various branches of the service and the military academy cadets as well.
Each doll always had a tag which would give the doll design number and name. These paper tags were wrapped around one of the legs of the doll, but with time, many of these tags were removed or lost through the years. The first dolls did not have moving eyes, but were instead eyes painted on each doll. Later the hard plastic dolls with movable heads and movable arms, but stationary legs, were made with what is called “sleepy eyes” or the eyes that open and shut as the doll is tilted. The movable parts were attached with rubber bands.
Over the years, the production of Carlson Dolls expanded into five separate buildings and employed as many as 250 workers in the 1970s, both in Maple Lake and a second facility in Milan, Minnesota. In the 1980s, the grandchildren of the founder made vast renovations to the Carlson facilities. Besides selling Carlson Dolls products, they had a display of Native American artifacts and corners of cozy furniture where visitors could relax with a cup of coffee. According to The Maple Lake Centennial History 1890-1990, the Carlson Doll buildings were brought back to their original facades and features, and were repurposed as cyber cafes, gift shops, etc.
The diminuitive size of Carlson Dolls make them a perfect cabinet doll and their reasonable prices made them relatively inexpensive to collect as well. These dolls were, and remain, highly collectible. They were always proudly made in the USA, and more specifically, in modest and friendly MinneSNOWta.
[carlson doll 10]
- U.S. Funds only, please.
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