Armand Marseille Dolls

Armand Marseille Doll Co. Dolls 1885-1950's German

Armand Marseille of Sonneberg & Koppelsdorf, Thuringia, Germany was one of the worlds largest and best known bisque doll head manufacturers.  Herman (surname is unknown - Armand Marseille was the chosen business name) was born in 1856 in St. Petersburg, Russia the son of an architect, and immigrated to Germany with his family a short while after 1860.  In 1884 he bought the toy factory of Mathias Lambert in Sonneberg and in 1885 acquired the porcelain factory of Liebermann & Wegescher in Koppelsdorf . . . and his empire in the doll world began.

My Dream Baby #341, 15" tall, 

(#341 with closed mouth & #351 has an open mouth with two upper teeth).

From 1900-1930 it's reported they produced 1,000 bisque doll heads a day.  They made bisque headed child, baby, lady & character dolls with kid bodies and most with glass eyes but some were painted eyes, as well as bisque and composition dolls and bisque heads with cloth bodies.  They interestingly did not produce the body of their dolls but purchased those from other doll manufactures.

ca. 1894+ Doll, 10-42" tall, bisque shoulder head, kid body or cloth, wigged, glass eyes, some have fur eyebrows, open slight smiling mouth. Usually has Made in Germany/AM/Armand Marseille in the marking with the mold number.

Shown on left is the face mold 370, Shown at right is a Floradora marked doll, 19-20" tall.

Some of the dolls names are: Baby Betty, Beauty, Jubilee, Majestic, Princess, Queen Louise.

Doll shown on right is a

Queen Louise doll, 23" tall.

Doll, Bisque Socket head, various sizes from 10 - 42" tall, wood & composition jointed body, wigged, glass eyes, open slight smiling mouth. Usually has Made in Germany/Armand Marseille in the marking with mold number.

Doll shown on left is ca. 1900 and is mold 29, Princess doll, with the jointed composition body.

Other dolls names were:  
Baby Betty, Floradora, Queen Louise, Rosebud.

Doll, Bisque Socket head, various sizes from 10 - 42" tall, wood & composition jointed body, wigged, glass eyes, open slight smiling mouth. Usually has Made in Germany/Armand Marseille in the marking with mold number.

 

Doll shown on right is mold 390 with the "stick" legs 

on a joined composition & wood body.

Character Baby, 10" mold 985

Character Baby, usually has Germany A.M. DRGM in marking with the mold number.

Bisque head, glass eyes, painted upper & lower eyelashes, feathered eyebrows, open or closed mouth, wigged, composition jointed baby bent limb body.

Other similar doll molds are: 

256, 326, 327, 329, 347, 352, 360a, 750, 760, 790, 900, 927, 971, 980, 
984, 985, 990, 991, 992, 996, 1330, 1333, usually has DRGM in marking

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE: http://www.dollreference.com/