Mother's Congress Baby Stuart Cloth Doll
From 1900 to 1911, The Mother's Congress Doll Co. of Philadelphia Pennsylvania produced the Baby Stuart doll. The pattern
for the doll was patented by Madge Lansing Mead on Nov. 6 1900. The patent #661,185 can be viewed by clicking the link. No
model was included with the patent application so it is unknown when the first dolls were made. Unique to this pattern was the
round crown cut with the neck piece. The neck piece was then sewn with darts producing a very round head. The head was
then lithographed in the round as opposed to flat according to Edwards. The patent itself states: "The fabric may be printed,
stamped or painted to represent the various parts of the doll, as may be desired, and the entire set of patterns may be printed
upon a single piece of fabric as an article of commerce." Then the heads had blond hair and blue bows painted on. Mary Jane
shoes were painted on the stub feet. The hands were also stubs.
Dolls were made of unbleached muslin. They were stuffed with soft cotton and came in sizes ranging from 17 to 24 inches tall.
There was a mark on the chest: Mother's Congress Doll/Baby Stuart/ Children's Favorite/ Philadelphia, Pa./ Pat. Nov 6, 1900.
Edwards, Linda. Cloth Dolls from Ancient to Modern. Atglen, Pa. Schiffer Publishing. 1997.
for the doll was patented by Madge Lansing Mead on Nov. 6 1900. The patent #661,185 can be viewed by clicking the link. No
model was included with the patent application so it is unknown when the first dolls were made. Unique to this pattern was the
round crown cut with the neck piece. The neck piece was then sewn with darts producing a very round head. The head was
then lithographed in the round as opposed to flat according to Edwards. The patent itself states: "The fabric may be printed,
stamped or painted to represent the various parts of the doll, as may be desired, and the entire set of patterns may be printed
upon a single piece of fabric as an article of commerce." Then the heads had blond hair and blue bows painted on. Mary Jane
shoes were painted on the stub feet. The hands were also stubs.
Dolls were made of unbleached muslin. They were stuffed with soft cotton and came in sizes ranging from 17 to 24 inches tall.
There was a mark on the chest: Mother's Congress Doll/Baby Stuart/ Children's Favorite/ Philadelphia, Pa./ Pat. Nov 6, 1900.
Edwards, Linda. Cloth Dolls from Ancient to Modern. Atglen, Pa. Schiffer Publishing. 1997.
