The Kewpie Doll Collections
By Charisma Brands
Best known as the creator of the Kewpie® doll and Kewpie® Illustrations, Rose O'Neill was one of America's leading commercial illustrators of her time. Her work appeared in many publications such as Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan. In the 1920's, her more serious works of art could be found in New York and Paris art galleries. Continued below...
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| Zodiac Collection, Aries |
However, it was the Kewpie® character that caught the hearts of people all over the world. First produced as dolls in Germany(1913), their popularity soon grew to the point that many factories were working around the clock to meet the demand. Between 1912 and 1920, Kewpies could be found everywhere. Millions of Kewpies were sold and could be found associated with cups, greeting cards, story books, clocks, anything and everything. They even appeared on a box of Jell-O® Pudding. Rose O'Neill, in addition to being a highly successful illustrator, was a great philanthropist, poet and novelist. Her Kewpies could be found battling injustice, promoting women's suffrage and other causes. Rose's rebuilt home in Branson, Missouri is now the Bonniebrook Park Museum. Every year there is a Kewpie® festival in Branson where people from all over come to celebrate these American icons .In 1912 a brilliant sculptor, Joseph Kallus, created the first three-dimensional Kewpie® doll which was first produced and sold in 1913 and Kewpie® dolls have remained a popular favorite through ninety years of America history.