Celluloid dolls first started being produced in the 1870s, when all dolls were delicate and easily broken. Bisque dolls were easily shattered, and wax dolls got ruined very quickly. Doll manufacturers began researching and experimenting with celluloid. Celluloid is a synthetic plastic; it's actually one of the first synthetic plastics ever made! It originated in 1863 and was a popular substance to make many different types of products with.
However, celluloid was flammable and cracked and yellowed over time. It was not a perfect plastic, but it did serve as a great substance for less-fragile dolls. Celluloid dolls were made up until the 1950s; they were made for almost a complete century! They were most popular between 1900 and through the 1940s.
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Celluloid dolls came in many different sizes. Some celluloid dolls were only an inch long, while others were as large as 30 inches. The larger dolls were less common, however, due to the lightweight characteristics of the plastic. Celluloid worked much better for smaller dolls.
An interesting fact is that celluloid dolls can explode. Believe it or not, if they are left in high temperatures for an extended period of time, the chemicals in the celluloid will give out and explode.
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