Penny Wood Dolls History

Beginnings

• The origin of penny wood dolls can be traced to the Grodnertal area of Germany in 1810, where they were first developed and produced. Once they gained in popularity, they became available in many countries.

Names

• Penny wood dolls were known by a variety of names, including peg wooden dolls, penny woodens and wooden poppets. These dolls typically resembled wooden clothespins with simple peg joints.

Sizes

• Penny wood dolls came in a variety of sizes, ranging from 2 to 11 inches in height. The smaller dolls were more affordable, allowing many people to own large families of dolls.

Costumes

• There were also a variety of costumes and outfits made to dress penny wood dolls, ranging from simple dresses to more elaborate outfits.

Availability

• Penny wood dolls were usually available in dime stores, cent shops and stores that carried a variety of inexpensive toys, candies and other sundries for children.