Black Doll Collecting: Antique Composition Doll by Trego Doll Manufacturing Company

Monday, January 27, 2020

Antique Composition Doll by Trego Doll Manufacturing Company

This 25-inch antique composition doll by Trego Doll Manufacturing Company has a ball-jointed body. She is jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees. She wears a replaced Shirley Temple-style wig. She has brown sleep eyes and an open mouth with four upper teeth. My doll's eyes have probably been replaced and the teeth may have been replaced as well.

Close-up of teeth

Very little is known about the Trego Doll Manufacturing Company. This U.S. company is said to have attempted to complete with German doll makers. Formerly located at 3267 Third Ave., New York, Trego made dolls under the Trego name for only three years from 1918-1921. According to Doll Reference, “The Trego Doll Manufacturing Company made antique composition dolls; some dolls have imported bisque heads, others have composition heads, both dolls have composition German like multi-ball jointed bodies.”

This photo illustrates the ball joint in one of my doll's knees.

On the doll's upper back, TREGO is written within a rounded rectangle above MADE IN U.S.A.

The January 1921 issue of Toys and Novelties documents "Indian" and "Negro" dolls made by Trego in various sizes including the 25-inch size like my doll. I have only found two online images of other Black dolls like this one (see related links at the end of this post). It can be safely assumed that Black versions were made in fewer quantities and few are available today.

My doll was purchased in 2011. Below are the original photos that the seller used in the auction listing.

Photos From 2011

Updated Photos

I recently took updated photos of this doll for an antique doll photo-sharing event. While taking the photos, I noticed a couple of flaws in the composition that I wanted to repair. She had one major flaw when she arrived, but the other flaw was relatively new.

This photo illustrates the ball joint in her elbow. The wrist is ball-jointed as well.

It was when the above photo was taken that I noticed the ring finger was missing from the doll's right hand. This is the flaw that was present when she arrived, but it had completely slipped my mind. At the time of her arrival, I had no plans to repair the finger. But since I've replaced other dolls' fingers in the recent past, I decided to replace hers.

Here is a better look at the hand with the missing finger.

In the above picture, in addition to the hand with the missing finger being visible, the portion of the composition above her left knee that was missing is partially visible. That was her second flaw which was not present when she arrived.

This is a better image of the huge piece of composition that was missing above her left knee joint.

This photo and the next one illustrate her rounded bottom that is designed for her to sit, although she can stand as well.

This is another somewhat off-centered view of her bottom from the back.

The Repair

I used several layers of Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler to rebuild the missing composition above the left knee.

The wood filler was also used to strengthen a weak portion of the side of her left calf.

I used air-dry clay to (crudely) sculpt a new finger. All areas were left to dry overnight. The area above the knee was sanded some prior to painting.

Post-Repair Photos

I used a mixture of brown acrylic paints to match the existing paint and to repaint the knee joint...

...the side of the leg...

...and to paint the new finger. Again, the finger is a little lumpy, but she has all her digits now. That's what matters.

Close-up of finger and knee area

She appears to be happy with the repairs

Recovered and redressed

My Trego girl has now been redressed in her period-appropriate plaid satin dress, off-white eyelet-trimmed half-slip, and white pantaloons. The red patent-leather shoes she arrived wearing have been exchanged for black faux leather shoes. (Yes, I know; she needs leather shoes.) The off-white nylon socks she arrived wearing are either stored or being worn by another doll.