Civil War-era soldier paper dolls
Collection — Folder: S3145
Identifier: S3145
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of five U.S. Army paper doll soldiers circa 1850-1865, likely Union soldiers in the Civil War, from the mid-to-late 19th century. Four of the dolls are duplicates of a male soldier with a sabre and canteen in profile aiming a rifle and the fifth doll, wearing a red neckerchief, faces forward and holds a sabre, indicating he is likely a member of cavalry. The paper dolls were likely created in the 20th century.
Dates
- 20th century
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Historical Note
Paper dolls are toy figures cut out of paper or thin card, often with separate clothes, also made of paper, that are usually held onto the dolls by paper folding tabs. Paper dolls were toys, usually marketed towards girls, and were sometimes used in advertising in paper mediums like magazines and newspapers, and spanned a variety of subjects and time periods.
The first paper dolls produced in the United States were published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1812. The biggest American producer of paper dolls was McLoughlin Brothers, founded in 1858 and sold to Milton Bradley in 1920. Around this time paper dolls became popular in the U.S. and then grew in popularity in the following decades. The rise of paper doll production in the late-19th century to mid-20th century was partially due to technological advances that made printing significantly less expensive.
Sources:
National Women's History Museum. "History of Paper Dolls and Popular Culture: A Two-Dimensional View of Fashion." November 20, 2016. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/history-paper-dolls-and-popular-culture.
Wikipedia. "Paper doll." Wikipedia.org. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_doll.
The first paper dolls produced in the United States were published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1812. The biggest American producer of paper dolls was McLoughlin Brothers, founded in 1858 and sold to Milton Bradley in 1920. Around this time paper dolls became popular in the U.S. and then grew in popularity in the following decades. The rise of paper doll production in the late-19th century to mid-20th century was partially due to technological advances that made printing significantly less expensive.
Sources:
National Women's History Museum. "History of Paper Dolls and Popular Culture: A Two-Dimensional View of Fashion." November 20, 2016. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/history-paper-dolls-and-popular-culture.
Wikipedia. "Paper doll." Wikipedia.org. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_doll.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a records transfer from the Genealogy Division on 2017/03/13.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2019/08/16 by Lauren Patton. EAD finding aid created 2019/08/16 by Lauren Patton. EAD finding aid revised 2025/10/29 by Brittany Kropf.
- Title
- Civil War-era soldier paper dolls
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
