Letters, numbers help identify dolls
Antique dolls are popular collectibles. It is often difficult to determine the age or maker of a doll, but there are clues that can help.
Many dolls with bisque or china heads are marked. Look under the wig at the back of the neck. It might say “Germany” or “S.F.B.J.” or “KR.” After 1891, some makers marked their dolls with just the name of the country where the doll was made. Some also used company initials.
This 13-inch doll has a bisque head that is marked KR for Kammer & Reinhardt of Germany. It is worth more than 00.
“S.F.B.J.” is one of the marks of the Societe Francaise de Fabrication de Bebes & Jouets of Paris. The company worked from 1899 to 1930. “KR” is one of the marks of Kammer & Reinhardt, a German firm that worked from 1886 to 1930. Many doll heads were designed by Kammer & Reinhardt but were manufactured by another German company, Simon & Halbig.
Sometimes a doll head has several different marks, including the name or initials of the maker, the country where it was made and additional numbers. The numbers might refer to the size of the doll or the design of the head. The letters “DEP” indicate that the doll’s design was patented.
Libraries and the Internet provide lists of marks and makers that can help identify old dolls. Doll dealers in your area can also help.
Can you tell me anything about my “California Bear” flag? My brother found it in my great-grandparents’ Victorian house, which was built in 1857. The flag is cream-colored, with a red stripe along the bottom and a red, five-pointed star in the upper left corner. A printed picture of a grizzly bear walking on all fours is in the center of the flag, with the words “California Republic” underneath.
The design of your flag dates to 1846, when a small band of American settlers took control of the Mexican garrison at Sonoma, Calif., north of what is now San Francisco. They declared California a republic independent of Mexico. The revolt became known as the Bear Flag Revolt, after the design of the new republic’s flag. The bear was a symbol of strength, the stripe honored the U.S. flag, and the star was a reference to the lone star of Texas. The flag flew for less than a month. When the settlers learned that Mexico and the United States were at war, the American flag replaced the bear flag. The flag remained popular, however, and was adopted as California’s state flag in 1911. Your version of the flag, with a printed picture of the bear, was probably made after 1911.
We have been asked to donate our 2-by-3-inch picture of George Washington to a local museum. We think it dates from Washington’s first inauguration, in 1789. The picture of Washington is within a circle. Printed above it are the words “Inauguration of” and below it, “George Washington, April 30th, 1789.” A punched hole in the top and a strip of fabric around the edge make us think that the picture was mounted on a backing and worn as a badge. This item has been handed down in our family.
Most items celebrating George Washington’s first inauguration were made in the 19th century to commemorate the event. It is likely that your picture-badge was printed in 1889 to celebrate the centennial of Washington’s first inauguration. Or it might have been made in 1876, the year the country’s Centennial Exhibition was held in Philadelphia. This does not make your item uninteresting to a museum. It is still a piece of political Americana, worth more than $100.
- The Kovels answer as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for its use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names and addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Lawrence Journal-World, King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019.
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