Doll Repair Before & After

Shirley Temple Restoration

This 27″ Shirley Temple came to me in her original box with her ringlet wig in original set and original button. It was, initially thought that all she needed was repair to a split in the composition near an eye. Upon closer examination it was clear there was more to think about. There was extensive lifting near the nose and around the mouth. I knew as soon as I started to work on her the brittleness of the lifting would chip away. When all the lifting was removed, the majority of her face was involved, which was restored.

Shirley Temple composition eye bubbling	Shirley Temple antique composition doll with facial crazing and bubbling
Shirley Temple composition doll after restoration. Craze control was utilized on the body.	Close Up of Shirley Temple face after restoration

Composition Baby – 5 part Body

Made by the zillions, this inexpensive composition American made baby doll is a favorite because of the cute expression and sturdy structure. One of the problems with this type of doll is that, because of the mass production process, the last coat of paint is often thin and wears at the toes and fingers as well as flakes and fades from the face. The owner of this doll (well husband) had this doll restored for his wife’s 75th birthday as it was her childhood favorite as well.

Before, charming painted Googlie eyes and painted hair	After photo of the facial after restoration
All finished and ready to go home. She is dressed in a yellow voile flowered dress with matching hat.

French Fashion Antique Bisque Head Restoration

Measuring 9 1/2 ” around, this lovely French head was worth the effort to restore it. The bisque is a lovely translucent shade and smooth silky texture. The break on this head was from the crown, through the ear, down the cheek to the mouth, exiting on the other side of the mouth, looping to the neck and up back to the crown. These types of restores are tricky because of the curves in the head and also the differences in the colors, with the forehead lighter, darkening toward the cheeks, additional shading near the mouth and then back up to the crown. The application is in several very thin coats to allow the beauty of the porcelain to remain and replicating the several colors in the head.

Before facial view	After front view
BEFORE Neck Area	AFTER Neck view
BEFORE cheek area right side	AFTER right side
BEFORE left side	AFTER left side

ABG (Alt Beck Gottschalk) Bisque Restoration

This antique bisque doll head is probably the worst I have seen in that it was broken in many pieces, with some pieces missing. It had been previously, restored some 20 years ago. It had not been reinforced on the inside and glued with an inappropriate product, so it was now coming apart. The paint used was a heavy acrylic with did not allow the translucent beauty of the head to come through. My photos show the head with and without some of the previous work as well as a completed head.

After previous paint was cleaned off there was nothing to hold the pieces together.	Back after previous paint was removed.

Jumeau 8 Invisible Restoration Repair

This lovely antique French Jumeau 8 doll head had forehead and temple cracks. The porcelain forehead crack was from the crown to the eye and the temple crack was from the crown to the eye, down the cheek to behind the ear.

Jumeau 8 after restoration repair on bisque doll head Before front view

Jumeau 8 after restoration repair on bisque doll head front view

1920 Shoulder Plate Composition Baby

Horsman was a large doll company, signing their doll E.I.H, out of New York. The manufactured composition dolls of all types as well as distributed French and German dolls. This painted eye composition baby was made circa 1920. The paint has cracked and lifted excessively on its body as well as the facial decorations had flaked off. Fully restored, this cute baby doll will outlive a couple of more generations of doll appreciation.

Early Colored Composition Baby

Made in the 1920′s, this baby has been stored away for a long time. When brought out it’s finish had cracked and released from the composition, literally causing the doll to fall apart. Totally stripped and restored, she is ready to take her place in a valued collection.

colored antique composition baby face before

Doll repair and restoration of composition dolls can range from simple repairs to a complete restoration. Simple doll repairs include rebuildingdamaged doll parts, restringing and craze control or repairing body parts like fingers, toes and other broken parts. A major or complete doll restoration can include stripping the old finish, patching and filling, an iris transplant for crystallized, foggy acrylic eyes, wig restoration or replacement and, of course, maybe new doll clothes.

Elaborate Rare Countess Dagmar China Head with Earrings

This lovely rare Countess Dagmar china head warranted repair of her shoulder plate because of her elaborate hair style featuring long rolls of curls, a high coronet of hair and head band, along with pieced ears. The shoulder plate was about half gone and had to be rebuilt as well as painted.

Rare china head BEFORE	Rare china head front view restored	Rare china head view restored
	Rare china head back view	Rare china head side view

1920 Composition Mama Dolls Full Restore

Treasured Mama Dolls from the 1920′s had been in storage for some time, after being well loved are discovered by the family as *new* antiques, worthy of restoration.

Big Baby Complete Composition Restore

This is a typical big baby doll. They are so lovable with their big soft bodies and happy expression. It was great to bring her back to her beautiful charming self.

		AFTER

To make whole again, sometimes repairs or replacement parts are needed for missing or broken doll parts. Professional doll repair utilizes techniques and authentic parts to bring your doll back to what she was originally!

Hard Plastic Baby Doll Restore

To repair this hard plastic doll, the hard plastic doll parts needed to be rejoined and her finish restored.

BEFORE 1950 Hard Plastic Baby Doll	AFTER Hard Plastic Baby Doll with new paint and seam rejoined	AFTER Hard Plastic Baby Doll after seam is joined and finish repainted

Paper Mache Child Doll

This Patent Washable doll was made 1880-1915 by F.M. Schilling and other Sonneberg factories. It came from the original owner who wanted her restored so he could pass her on in the family. She had been in a box in pieces for years and had lost her original legs but retained her original (grass stuffed) body, head and arms and clothing. At some point someone had worked on her, painting gesso over her head and arms. To restore her, her original body was covered with 100% cotton muslin with new cloth for the arms and legs. The head, arms and legs were painted to reflect period decoration. A human hair wig was fabricated as well and appropriate period clothing was utilized.

A wonderful PLUS to this doll is that she still had her original blouse and petticoat made of terrific eyelet fabric. The blouse featured drop shoulder sleeves and shell buttons. The slip had a great installed pocket for some treasure to be hidden (maybe an antique penny?). To protect the slip a cotton skirt was fabricated featuring cotton lace and a back skirt for a small bustle affect. The line of the skirt is not full, but straight, reflecting the 1890 styles of Gibson girl fashion.

: Original Pieces for Paper Mache Patent Washable Doll

: BEFORE Paper Mache Patent Washable Doll

: Paper Mache Patent Washable Doll face view

: New muslin over original body with new legs

: Original eyelet blouse with period fashion skirt

: Side View Paper Mache Patent Washable Doll

Invisible Face Restore on Tete Jumeau 10

This lovely Jumeau had a previous head break that had been filled as well as a hairline crack extending from the eye. The previous repair had been done badly and was now unstable, paint flaking and chips in the fill areas.

: BEFORE face view of Tete Jumeau 10. Break is from crown, down forehead, to corner of eye, through cheek, across neck, up neck to crown. Additional hairline from corner of eye toward ear.

: AFTER Tete Jumeau 10

: BEFORE L cheek

: BEFORE Left Side

: AFTER

: BEFORE

: BEFORE

: AFTER

: BEFORE

: BEFORE

: AFTER

: AFTER Forehead

Invisible Restoration Antique ABG 1362 Doll

This lovely antique German Alt Beck Gottschalck doll head was a family heirloom, passed down from the grandmother. Held in a place of honor, the doll was accidentally dropped. Fully restored, she is lovely and ready to take her place of honor again!

If their paint had been as sturdy as their composition of metal these dolls would survive indefinitely. Heads molded from a sheet of tin (or metal), they are usually found on kid leather or all cloth bodies. Tin heads were sold separate from bodies, advertised in many old catalogues.

Invisible Restoration on China Head Doll

This lovely china head had a shoulder plate break as well as the head broken from the shoulder plate. An invisible restoration returns this lovely doll back to her original beauty.

: completed invisible restoration of china shoulder plate

: china head shoulder plate broken and chipped

: broken neck portion on china head

: small portion of shoulder plate to attach to broken pieces

: bottom view of 1850 china head

Kestner 148 Antique Doll Shoulder Head Repair

This 1880′s German shoulder head has a leather body. the head was broken in several pieces as well as cracks that needed to be reinforced, filled and painted.

: BEFORE

: BEFORE front view glued back together

: BEFORE back view glued together

: BEFORE side view glued together

: AFTER front view

: AFTER side view

: AFTER back view

: AFTER L side view

Tin Head Doll Repaint with Kidoline Body

This tin head had a partial Kidoline body. The upper arms had to be fabricated and replaced antique bisque lower arms installed, then the body was repainted with several coats to the oilcloth. The head was stripped and repainted. The end result was a lovely restored antique tin head doll!

: BEFORE front view

: AFTER front view

: BEFORE back view

: AFTER back view

: AFTER tin head with head repaint