A Frozen Charlotte is a specific form of

china China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

bisque doll A bisque doll or porcelain doll is a doll made partially or wholly out of bisque or biscuit porcelain. Bisque dolls are characterized by their realistic, skin-like matte finish. They had their peak of popularity between 1860 and 1900 with French ...

made in one solid piece without joints from c. 1850 to c. 1920. They were typically inexpensive, and the name Penny doll is also used, in particular for smallest, most affordable versions. The dolls had substantial popularity during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

History

The name of the doll originates from the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

folk ballad Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

Fair Charlotte "Fair Charlotte" (or "Young Charlotte") (Laws G17) is an American folk ballad. Story The story is a cautionary tale concerning a young girl called Charlotte who refused to wrap up warmly to go on a sleigh ride to a New Year's ball. Upon arrivin ...

, based on the poem "A Corpse Going to a Ball" by

Seba Smith Seba Smith (September 14, 1792 – July 28, 1868) was an American humorist and writer. He was married to Elizabeth Oakes Smith, also a writer, and he was the father of Appleton Oaksmith. Biography Born in Buckfield, Maine, Smith graduated from ...

, which tells of a young girl called Charlotte who refused to wrap up warmly to go on a

sleigh A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners s ...

ride because she did not want to cover up her pretty dress; she froze to death during the journey. The Frozen Charlotte doll is made in the form of a standing, naked figure molded as a solid piece. The dolls are also sometimes described as ''pillar dolls'', ''solid chinas'' or ''bathing babies''.Coleman. Dorothy S., Elizabeth A. and Evelyn JK.; ''The Collector's Encyclopaedia of Dolls Volume One'', (USA, 1978) The dolls ranged in size from under an inch to 18 inches plus. The smallest dolls were sometimes used as charms in

Christmas pudding Christmas pudding is sweet dried-fruit pudding traditionally served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain and other countries to which the tradition has been exported. It has its origins in medieval England, with early recipes making use of d ...

s. and smaller sizes were very popular for putting in doll's houses. Occasionally versions are seen with a glazed china front and an unglazed

stoneware Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a Vitrification#Ceramics, vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refracto ...

back. This enabled the doll to float on its back when placed in a bath. Frozen Charlotte dolls were popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. The dolls were affordable enough that children of the era could buy them with their own pocket money. Smaller versions of the dolls were also known as ''penny dolls'', because they were often sold for a cent. Most were made in Germany. They are also made in bisque, and can come in white, pink-tinted, or, more rarely, painted

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

. Some rare examples have moulded

chemise A chemise or shift is a classic smock, or a modern type of women's undergarment or dress. Historically, a chemise was a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils, the precursor to the modern shirts commonl ...

s. Male dolls (identified by their boyish hairstyles) are called Frozen Charlies.

References

{{reflist Dolls

History

See also

References