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During the course of the internship, the intern will take a leading role in the cataloging, sorting and storing of research files and creating user guides for these collections. Center staff will instruct the intern on archival procedures, computer cataloging, storage requirements, and preventative conservation. Nothing is more charming and delightful to collect than those little dolls that were mass-produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For an accurate and professional assessment of a Frozen Charlotte doll’s value, consider consulting with antique doll experts or appraisers who specialize in this niche.
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Frozen Charlotte (doll)
Victorian children loved to play with tiny, porcelain dolls that resembled corpses. Called Frozen Charlotte dolls, the porcelain figures reminded children of the morbid tale of a young woman who perished from the cold on a sleigh ride. Instead of focusing on vanity and fashion, like the original Charlotte, children who played with the dolls learned to listen to their parents. In fact, the so-far earliest mentions of a doll called Frozen Charlotte and couplings of the doll with the legend appear in American newspapers in the mid-1940s. And it was doll collectors and reporters writing about doll collectors who called penny dolls by this name, sometimes also referring to the legend.
The Haunting History of ‘Frozen Charlotte’ Dolls
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From the diversity of our residents to our colorful history, which you’ll find represented in every corner, Charlotte is a melting pot. We’re a heaping spoonful of natural beauty and metropolitan splendor. We’re a blend of inventive chefs, talented artists, fierce athletes and mission-minded gamechangers.
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Their popularity soared in Britain and America, where they were baked into cake as a nice (or not so nice, depending on your tolerance for creepy little porcelain girls) surprise for kids. The song was itself based on a poem by American writer Seba Smith, who first published the poem in a Maine newspaper in 1843. His poem was in turn inspired by an account published in a New York newspaper in 1840 detailing just such an incident. The doll's coloration is sometimes believed to be a reflection of the young lady's frosty demise. All mentions of these dolls from the time period call them “penny dolls,” not “Frozen Charlottes.” So when did the name we use today actually become connected to these little porcelain dolls?
Who is Frozen Charlotte?
And in order to understand how the doll was so dubbed, you have to know something about the doll and legend on which its name is based. Frozen Charlotte dolls were popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. Smaller versions of the dolls were also known as penny dolls because they were often sold for a cent. These dolls were called badekinder or “bathing dolls,” because they could be completely submerged in water and given a bath.
Today, Martha Stewart provides a recipe for Frozen Charlottes, though without the backstory of the cautionary tale of a 19th-century girl freezing on a sleigh ride. The connection between the name and the dolls lies in the fact that, like the unfortunate Charlotte in the song, these dolls are often depicted as being barefoot and without clothing. The popularity of the ballad likely contributed to the adoption of the name for these small porcelain dolls, which began to emerge around the same time.
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The name “Frozen Charlotte” for these small porcelain dolls has its origins in an American folk ballad, based on the poem “A Corpse Going to a Ball” by Seba Smith. The ballad tells the story of a young woman named Charlotte who was traveling to a New Year’s ball in an open sleigh during winter with her beau Charles. Despite the frigid weather, she refused to cover herself with a blanket, fearing it would hide her beautiful gown.
Legends From History
What's more, her beau Charles was left so broken-hearted that he, too, perished, and the lovers were buried in the same tomb. Antique Frozen Charlotte dolls, particularly those from the mid-19th century, tend to be more valuable. Older dolls carry historical significance and often possess unique characteristics.
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The Charlottes and Charlies come from Germany and were made between 1850 and 1914. They are also made in bisque, and can come in white, pink-tinted, or, more rarely, painted black.[3] Some rare examples have moulded chemises. Male dolls (identified by their boyish hairstyles) are called Frozen Charlies. Hiding coins or figurines in cakes is a tradition with ancient roots. Exhaustive searches of historic newspaper databases, magazines, and books of the period have failed to unearth contemporaneous evidence to support the idea that 19th-century Americans equated the penny doll with the legend of Fair Charlotte. Further, no one who has written about the penny doll and included a Victorian connection to the legend in his or her analysis has published anything from the 19th or early 20th centuries to support the claim.
The name “Frozen Charlotte” added an element of charm and intrigue to these dolls, linking them to the tragic tale of a young woman who paid the price for vanity and fashion in a harsh winter’s night. When, just a few years later, German bath dolls began appearing in America, people began to link the tiny porcelain dolls with the Frozen Charlotte story. In the ballad, Charles "took her hand in his... 'Twas cold and hard as stone," reminding 19th-century Americans of the porcelain dolls. And unlike larger dolls with movable arms and legs, the German bath dolls were immobile, like the ballad's line saying Charlotte "[sat] there like a monument... [with] no power to stir."
However, if you find such a doll dressed in homemade clothes, examine its body underneath the clothes which can, and often do, disguise a broken or damaged doll. These can be purchased inexpensively, but perfect examples cost much more, depending on features, size and type. Then, there are tiny Frozen Charlotte bathtub dolls sitting in a tub. Some have long hair flowing to their feet; others wear gilt boots, or shoes and socks molded on. Aside from Frozen Charlottes, which were three-quarters of an inch and larger, there were Frozen Charlies, representing Charlotte's beau.
Design vignettes with a Victorian flair, placing Frozen Charlotte dolls alongside other nostalgic items like vintage books, keys, or shoe forms. Create captivating displays in a curio cabinet or glass display case, protecting the dolls while providing a charming and visually captivating arrangement. Transform Frozen Charlotte dolls into unique pieces of jewelry or accessories.
The condition of a Frozen Charlotte doll plays a crucial role in determining its value. Collectors prefer dolls that are in excellent condition with minimal damage, such as chips, cracks, or paint loss. Or course, given that they are largely excavated finds, many are just torsos, or heads, or even just limbs. If you’re buying one or two, or perhaps just a head, the price is achievable. But if you want to create a collection, be prepared to spend $100 at a minimum.
Larger examples were often used in the manner of a traditional doll, as a plaything. Some were even designed to be brought into the bath with a child as they could float on their backs and would not be damaged by water. Smaller sizes were commonly inserted into cakes or puddings as charms, in much the same fashion as a Mardi Gras king cake which traditionally has a baby figurine hidden inside; to find it afforded the discoverer promises of future prosperity. Although we have evidence that 19th-century Americans (and others) sometimes placed penny dolls (and other items) into cakes, there’s no evidence that they ever considered these objects as symbols of frozen women. Many people find porcelain dolls, in particular, to be eerie or creepy. Despite their treasured status amongst doll collectors, the stiff but uncannily human features of these dolls are often likened to corpses.
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