Bleuette Hair Timeline

Bleuette Hair Timeline 

In the G-L catalogs drawn from illustrations and advertising texts

From 1916 (first catalog) to 1920 there is no mention of Bleuette’s hair in the advertisements for her.

The hair style shown in the catalog is shoulder length soft curls or ringlets, with side part.  The side hair drawn over the forehead slightly, with bow on the side. All the dolls illustrated have this hairstyle except for the illustration of the baptismal dress, which shows shorter curls.

In Winter 1918, one illustration shows bobbed hair (with sailor suit), and the others are all long curls as described above.

In the Spring/Summer 1919 catalog there are a variety of hairstyles illustrated: 3 bobs (2 straight and 1 curly), and 4 shoulder length curls.

Winter 1919: Sleep eyes mentioned for the first time. Cover shows 1 bob, 1 long curls.

Summer 1920: Cover shows 2 bobs; no long curls are shown in the catalog illustrations.


Summer 1921: Hair color choice offered in the advertisement for first time: blond, brown, or chestnut. Illustrations show all bobs.

 

Summer 1922: Illustrations show several bobs, several long curls, and one set of braids coiled on the sides. Throughout the 1920s, short bobs are the most common in the illustrations.


Summer 1925: In this catalog, artificial or natural hair (I believe this refers to human hair) is offered as a choice for the first time in the advertisements for Bleuette. Natural costs more. Short bobs continue to be shown in the illustrations.

 

Winter 1925-26: Hair choices for Bleuettes as advertised are: Natural: braids or curls, long or short. Artificial: long or short curls only. Same three hair colors are offered.
This is the first mention of actual hair styles.


Winter 1926-27: Artificial or natural hair, long or short, in three colors is offered in advertisements for Bleuette.

Summer 1928: First mention of the “tete incassable” (composition head) with only short, natural hair –this is the most costly Bleuette of the listing; bisque head with natural or artificial hair, long or short, is also available.

Summer 1929: Three hair colors are available for Bleuette; these hair-types are available: short, supple, artificial mohair; long or short natural (human) hair. The composition head is now available with short artificial mohair wig only, and continues until 1932.

Winter 1932-33: Still three colors, now available in artificial hair, long or short, and natural hair, curls or braids. This is the second mention of curls and braids. The composition head is now available with natural hair in curls or braids.

Spring 1933: In this catalog, Bambino is first offered for sale at 28 cm tall, and Bleuette now is 29cm tall for the first time—possibly to make her taller than her little brother, Bambino. Bleuette is advertised as available with three hair colors, a bisque or composition head, and natural curls or braids. No artificial hair is offered.

 

This listing takes us through the dates of the four major molds for Bleuette’s head.




Martha Waterman Nichols, 2007