Originally born in 1909, Kewpie was the creation of illustrator Rose O'Neill. Kewpie was supposed to be reminiscent of Cupid and was meant to get people out of trouble. She was consistently seen battling injustice--such as acting as a suffragist--or simply making the readers of Woman's Home Companion laugh. She became popular virtually overnight and was soon seen in many women's magazines. Soon, Kewpie was a paper doll called Kewpie Kutouts that young fans could play with, rather than just looking at pictures of her. It wasn't long until Kewpie's admirers' cried out for something to hold. In 1913, the Kewpie doll was born. She had a stiff posture with her arms at her sides. The very first dolls were made of bisque, or china and celluloid. Eventually, as the dolls caught on, the types of materials used to create the doll became more varied and the accessory selection became larger. There were dolls that were a part of many different occupations, including soldiers, musicians and gardeners. Each doll was unique, but just as lovable. If you're looking for an original doll, there are a few things that can keep you from getting stuck with a knock-off. Each original always had the name of the artist, Rose O'Neill, on its foot and had a red-and-gold heart on its chest. The Kestner and Jesco doll companies were two of the manufacturers at the time. Today, Effanbee markets and produces Kewpie dolls so that younger generations can bask in the adorable design of these timeless Cupid-like cuties.
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