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Peddler Doll

The term "peddler" doll or "pedlar" doll refers to a collectable doll that was popular in England in the 16th through the 19th centuries. The doll was not a toy and was kept in the parlors of ladies of means to entertain them and their guests. The spelling "pedlar" is peculiarly English while the spelling "peddler" was used in England and in the American colonies. The most popular peddler doll is the figure of a woman who peddles small items. The colonists and the English also used the term "notions nannie" to decribe this peddler because she carried a variety of sewing notions, ribbons, laces, and other household nicities. One author feels it was a derogatory term describing the actual women peddlers who visited isolated homes and villages in the old and new world. Today, in the 21st century, many doll publications and doll collectors continue to use the term "pedlar" to describe the doll although "peddler" is just as correct.

The peddlers carried their wares in their arms, in baskets, in bundles on their backs, and in any way that would allow them to carry as much as possible. An examination of the items in a peddler doll's pack can tell us about the era in which she lived. The peddlers traveled on foot as they made their rounds. The dolls are often shown wearing a small print dress, an apron, and a red cape with a hood covering the tops and backs of their heads. Most of the older dolls can be seen wearing this attire. The doll frequently had the face of an older woman with wrinkles and others signs of age. The actual female peddlers usually remained in town or village because travelling on the open road on foot was especially dangerous. The peddlers who went from town to town were the male peddlers.

The term "peddler" covered a wide range of product and service provision. The synonyms for "peddler" include vendor, seller, hawker, mender, smith, carrier, man, and door-to-door salesman among others. In addition to selling goods, a wide variety of workmen sold their services door-to-door or village-to-village. The chimney sweep and the muffin man were types of peddlers. Although the typical peddler dolls are the "notions nanny" type, other less common peddler dolls can also be found. Some of the more common peddler dolls are flower vendors, toy peddlers, hat peddlers, and food vendors. Peddler dolls of all kinds are still valuable collectibles and are still being made by enterprising dollmakers, grandmothers, children, and those fascinated by the peddler doll.

Some authors claim that peddlers are no longer part of the culture, but if one notices the various food vendors at public events, the souvenir peddlers, the water peddlers and a large variety of sellers of necessary or wanted goods and services, he realizes that peddlers are still common and even a welcome part of our culture. As early as 1810, peddlers were required to have official permission, a license, to peddle in London. .  This is still a common practice in most parts of the world. Earlier peddlers were required to carry a recommendation by a clergyman in the form of a type of clerical license affirming the good character of the peddler.

Pedlars' Cries

Each doll represents a type of peddler and each peddler had a special cry or sales pitch they called out as they went on their rounds. Each phrase, song or rhyme was called a "cry." The Criers of London are the peddlers of London. The collectors of peddler dolls are also interested in their cries. Some cries can be found in nursery rhymes and in literature. One example of an eloquent cry is from Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale."

Lawn as white as driven snow; Cypress black as e'er was crow; Gloves as sweet as damask roses; Masks for faces and for noses; Bugle bracelet, necklace amber, Perfume for a lady's chamber; Golden quoifs and stomachers, For my lads to give their dears; Pins and poking sticks of steel, What maids lack from head to heel: Come buy of me, come; come buy, come buy; Buy lads or else your lasses cry; Come buy. For detailed discussions and illustrations of peddler dolls, refer to the four volume series Peddler Dolls by Marie C and Grace B. Turner. The sisters made over 200 dolls, each of which was 10" to 11" inches tall. With each black-and-white photograph, there is a short discussion of the peddler and his cry. A history of peddler dolls may be found in The Collector's History of Dolls by Constance Eileen King. . This author continues to find articles about peddler dolls in doll magazines and various historical and reference sources.