An Analysis of Depression Era Toy Dolls
Dolls have been a mainstay in the toy world for hundreds of years. They
may be quite expensive porcelain figures with human hair, or they can be
made of cheap materials such as fabric.
There is nothing terribly complex about these particular dolls. They are
made of a
plastic like substance, clad in relatively simple, molded plastic clothing,
and comprise a basic family unit of mother, father, and child.
Worn with age, they seem
almost comical to the contemporary eye, with their almost naive appeal.
This very simplicity, however, makes for more difficult analysis. For
these dolls are quite ambiguous. It is not obvious exactly which sex they
were made for. If they wore dresses, the assumption would be that they
were for girls; if they bore guns, the assumption would be that they
would be made for boys. Given the fact that these dolls appear to be
fairly unisex, it seems safe to say that these would be intended for a
children's toy - not a toy specifically for boys, nor a toy specifically for
girls. While there is no documented evidence to support my
presumption, I would wager that these dolls were inexpenive. Their
simplicity leads me to believe that they were massed produced, and the
material does not look terribly expensive. As such, the dolls are
representative of Depression toys. Insofar as Greenbelt is concerned,
these dolls are representative of the importance of family as envisioned
not only by town planners but residents as well.
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