Explore Black History

ca. 1947

This doll is one of several Black dolls given to the donor, a White woman, as a child. TThe dolls were purchased in either Texas, where she spent summers at her grandmother’s, or in Illinois, where the donor lived the rest of the year.
The donor named her dolls "Mamie," "Maggie," and "Mariah" after African American women who worked for her grandmother in Texas. She remembers very little about the individual women or their families. Her grandmother needed assistance due to diabetes and hired the women to help around the house. The donor recalls her grandmother keeping separate plates and silverware for the African American women to use but did not object when the donor’s mother would invite them to eat at the family table.

2023.11.1a: A Black Scootles composition doll designed by Rose O’Neill for Cameo Doll Company. The baby doll has a swivel head and is articulated at the shoulders and hips. It has splayed hands, cheek dimples, a chin dimple, and molded forelock curls and wavy hair with tufts on either side of the head that has been painted a dark brown. The doll’s painted facial features include rosy cheeks; a thin, smiling, closed mouth; side glancing eyes, accented with thick painted eyelashes. The doll is wearing a red and white gingham onesie designed to resemble a skirtall. The skirtall-style onesie has a bib over the chest with wide shoulder straps and an empire-style skirt. The straps are embellished with white scalloped ruffles accented with a red embroidered hem that doubles as a swirl pattern along the edges. The gingham skirt is gathered into pleats at the waistband and there is a red hem line near the bottom. The skirt reaches the top of the baby doll's thighs. Underneath the skirt is the rest of the gingham onesie. The onesie is secured at the back with a safety pin at the top of the waistband. The doll is also wearing white knit socks and white Mary Jane style shoes. The shoes constructed from a coated fabric designed to resemble leather with white ribbon ties at the top.
2023.11.1b: A shoe sole from a Scootles composition doll designed by Rose O’Neill for Cameo Doll Company. The sole is from the proper right foot of the doll. It is gray cardboard, roughly foot shaped, but otherwise plain on both sides.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Toys and Games

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Linda M. Sheffield

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2023.11.1ab

baby dolls

Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

paint on glue and wood pulp with paper, plastic, cloth, cardboard and metal

H x W x D (2023.11.1a): 12 1/2 × 6 11/16 × 3 13/16 in. (31.7 × 17 × 9.7 cm)
H x W x D (2023.11.1b): 1/16 × 1 3/16 × 2 3/16 in. (0.2 × 3 × 5.6 cm)

Object Name • Black "Scootles" composition doll

nmaahc_2023.11.1ab

NMAAHC

BLACK "SCOOTLES" COMPOSITION DOLL

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1940s

Cameo Doll Company • O'Neill, Rose

Port Allegheny • United States • North and Central America • Texas • McKean County • Pennsylvania

Amusements • Domestic life • Family • Children • Race relations

Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Port Allegheny • County • McKean County • State • Pennsylvania • State • Texas

Images

Unknown - Restrictions Possible