Itsy bitsy Beans
Doll
1973 (manufactured)
1973 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The 'Itsy Bitsy Beans' dolls were first produced by Mattel in 1970. The dolls have small vinyl hands and heads and their bodies are filled with 'beans', making them soft and able to pose in a variety of positions. They were advertised as "Lots of floppy, ploppy, posing fun, snuggly and soft". Later, the dolls hands were made from cloth so they appeared more like mittens, as can be seen on this doll. The earliest dolls were simple babies and came in a variety of colours, where later, themes began to emerge including dolls with babies and nursery rhymes.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Itsy bitsy Beans (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour printed card, fabric and vinyl |
| Brief description | Doll, boxed, fabric, 'Itsy Bitsy Beans', made by Burbank Toys, England, 1970s |
| Physical description | A small soft fabric doll wrapped inside its box. The box is green with a clear front so that the doll inside can be seen. The box has a piece which goes across the front in the shape of a heart and coloured pink which has the title of the doll on it and the manufacturer. The rest of the box has illustrations of the doll and other versions on the side as well as text, printed in black. The doll is wearing a pink romper suit which closes in her feet and goes round her head like a hood. It has a frilly white edge and two white bobbles as well as a pink ribbon around the neck. The doll has blonde curly hair and blue eyes painted onto its plastic face. The body is made from fabric. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Norah Chambers Kensey bequest |
| Summary | The 'Itsy Bitsy Beans' dolls were first produced by Mattel in 1970. The dolls have small vinyl hands and heads and their bodies are filled with 'beans', making them soft and able to pose in a variety of positions. They were advertised as "Lots of floppy, ploppy, posing fun, snuggly and soft". Later, the dolls hands were made from cloth so they appeared more like mittens, as can be seen on this doll. The earliest dolls were simple babies and came in a variety of colours, where later, themes began to emerge including dolls with babies and nursery rhymes. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.649-2010 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 11, 2011 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
