EIH © 1910

The following descriptions were used for this 12-inch baby whose faint neck marks read EIH © 1910:

1930s Baby Bumps
All Original
Velvet stuffed body
Hard to Find

The initials, E-I-H, are the early doll marks used by the E. I. Horsman Company.  I knew the doll was made by Horsman and that it was not Baby Bumps as indicated by the seller.  His true ID remained a mystery for weeks.

Last week I solicited the help of fellow doll collector, Lisa Ferguson, who scanned photos from five different doll reference books and emailed those to me.  Unfortunately, none of Lisa's images disclosed my doll's ID.  I was, therefore, prompted to open up books from my own doll reference library in an attempt to ID this little brown chocolate drop, a task I had delayed completing for weeks.

"Mystery solved!" I thought, after seeing what I assumed was the white version of my doll in one of my bound references.

Horsman's Candy Kid is shown to the left of my mystery doll.

Candy Kid, as illustrated on page 77 of Compo Dolls Volume II 1909-1928 Identification and Price Guide by Polly and Pam Judd looks almost identical to my doll (as illustrated above), but no mention of a black version is made in the book. This is not an unusual occurrence, as many doll reference books that focus on white dolls often exclude information about black counterparts.

On page 78, the Judd's describe Candy Kid as follows:

12in (31cm) tall; composition head and hands; straw-filled cloth body; highly sculptured face with high cheekbones; deeply indented closed mouth; smiling face; molded painted hair; shoulders and hips jointed with disks; all original red and white checked romper suit; red yoke and belt; red felt shoes; all original; 1912-1913. 

Other than the clothes and complexion, the description fits my doll, but I needed to do additional checking. 

Don Jensen's book, Collector's Guide to Horsman Dolls Identification and  Values 1865-1950 helped me determine that my doll is not Candy Kid.  On the page opposite Jensen's Candy Kid description is an illustration of three dark skinned dolls:  Two versions of Cotton Joe -- a baby and a standing version.  The third doll is another baby, Bingo, and bingo is what I thought when I recognized the baby with the #6 near his head as being my doll!

Page 73 of Collector's Guide to Horsman Dolls... by Don Jensen describes and illustrates three early Horsman dolls:  Cotton Joe, Bingo and a standing version of Cotton Joe.  My doll is Bingo! (Click any of the images to enlarge.)

Jensen describes Bingo as one of Horsman's 1910 American Kids in Toyland.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
and Bingo is his name-o!

Bingo close up

Like Candy Kid and my recently acquired Baby Bumps, Bingo is one of Horsman's Can't Break 'Em composition dolls.  But unlike my Baby Bumps, Bingo's composition exterior has fared far better over the past 102 years. 

dbg

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