Celebrity or Portrait dolls are dolls which have been modeled on actual living people. Celebrity dolls tend to be more modern and based on famous people especially film stars. Portrait dolls are much older and can be models of both unknown individuals or famous people such as royalty.
Some of the earliest portrait dolls were made of wax and could be extremely life-like. Some doll makers which are reknown for wax portrait dolls are the Pierotti Family who made a number of known portraits and advertised that they could make an individual portrait for about the same cost as a painting.
Poured wax portrait doll of an elderly lady, English circa 1860
The shoulder head doll with fixed blue glass eyes, inserted real hair lashes and brows, painted lips and well moulded features, inserted greying hair with centre parting and on a cloth body with wax lower arms and legs, wearing all original silk brown striped dress with pleats and layered skirt, burgundy apron with pockets, lace hanker-chief and head scarf having layers of under garments, silk stockings, wool shoes and necklace, together with a book written in 1918 by the owners family. 46cm (18in) tall.
A poured wax portrait doll modelled as Princess Louise
with fixed pale blue eyes, metal eyelest, short blonde hair inset in groups, stuffed body with wax arms and contemporary white work frock, pale brown wool cape, straw bonnet trmimmed with pink and cream ribbon, original white knitted socks, red slippers and kid label on tummy reads ‘Princess Louise 3 years old 1851 from Aunt Maddie to Dodo 1898’ –19in. (48cm.) high (nose rubbed), in a contemporary wooden box with paper label ‘Miss Maffett – Droughaire Co. Sligo Ireland’. Sold for GBP822 at Christies
COMPOSITION “MARGARET O’BRIEN” CELEBRITY DOLL BY MADAME ALEXANDER. Marks:Alexander. 21”. Composition socket head, unusual two-color sleep eyes, real lashes, dark eye shadow, painted lashes and brows, closed mouth, blushed cheeks, brunette mohair braids, composition five-piece body with long slender legs, wears aqua blue corduroy coat, hat and mittens over tagged pink organdy dress, cotton petticoat with attached panty, black leatherette shoes, has gold Madame Alexander wrist tag, box labelled Margaret O’Brien. Commentary:Circa 1946, the composition model was made for one or two years only. Portrays the child star, Margaret O’Brien, mint condition with beautiful vivid complexion; box very worn. Sold for $900 at Frasher’s Doll Auction
VERY RARE GERMAN BISQUE PORTRAIT OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT WITH ORIGINAL COSTUME. 14″ (36 cm.) Bisque socket head with strongly-modeled features, firm chin, furrowed details at the forehead and nose bridge, small brown glass inset eyes, painted lashes, brown brushstroked brows, closed mouth, upper lip covered by very full sculpted brown moustache, sculpted and painted brown hair with original cut pate at crown designed for additional mohair wig, Sonneberg composition and wooden jointed body. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: 24 R. Comments: Recknagel, circa 1910, the doll perfectly portrays the American hero and president, Teddy Roosevelt, wearing his legendary Rough Riders costume, including cap and spectacles. Value Points: very rare doll with realistically sculpted facial portrait features of Roosevelt, and with original costume. Sold for $4,200 at Theriault’s. Antique Doll Auctions
Modern makers have also made wax dolls of historical figures. The Victoria and Albert museum is home to a particularly attractive doll in the form of Elizabeth I, made in 1977 by Sheila Wallace.
Mattel have created many portrait or celebrity dolls including the recent addition of
