La Gutta Percha La Gutta Percha - Carmel Doll Shop

The wear to the body caused by the moving joint allows us the opportunity to seethe layers of linen and gutta percha utilized in the body’s manufacture.doll with two faces. (The sale was made to BRU Jne. et Cie and we all know that Brudid in fact utilize the patent for the creation of both two-faced ladies and bebes.)In 1869, A. Leverd company filed its third patent and according to research by Mr.Theimer, and I paraphrase; The dolls which have been made up to the present time aremerely very imperfect reproductions of nature, both in terms of shape and movementof the main limbs... among materials used to make them is gutta percha, which whenused alone loses its suppleness and elasticity after a time… it can become brittle andbreak if hit or dropped. To make less fragile toys we have to use a very greatthickness, which adds useless and costly weight.The basis of the patent was to remedy the above problem by pressing a thin layerof gutta percha between two pieces of fabric, lending the doll body much morestrength and durability. The firm’s patent claimed, that with imaginative use of thetechnique, their dolls were “veritable artistic statuettes” capable of assuming “all kinds of positions”.There is one aspect of the bodies’ creation that seems to be left out of the patentdescription, because there is no mention of the outer layer of kid leather that wasstretched over the gutta percha/fabric components. No doubt, that “skin” gave thebody additional strength and if the gutta percha did fracture (and it did), it wasdiscreetly held in place by the leather.The movements afforded by the Leverd body design are smooth and very life-like,with lovely body proportions. However, when undressed, the way the doll sits issomewhat un-lady like and could have proven quite a shock to mothers and little girls!The bisque arms of the doll are high quality, but of standard stock, unlike thebisque heads that are unique to the Leverd firm alone. Also in use by the companywas a standard style leather body for their largest models, as gutta percha proved toocumbersome for them and was simply not cost effective. The leather body wouldhave been easily attainable and was fitted with either bisque, wood or leather arms.Today, doll collectors refer to the maker of a doll according to the company thatmade the heads, as opposed to the converse practice in use when the dolls wereinitially manufactured/ assembled. Interestingly, most doll-related patents are forbodies, usually concentrating on articulation. After all, there were many suppliers ofheads that a maker/assembler working in the 1860s and 1870s could choose from.6