Paper dress-up dolls - children's toy or art?

They have been an inexpensive, yet popular children's toy for nearly two hundred years. Meanwhile, some artists have even declared paper dress-up dolls an art form.

Initially, the prints conveyed the latest fashions to well-to-do ladies, but in the 19th century, the supply of dress-up dolls soon turned exclusively to girls, catering to children's longings for beautiful clothes.

Early examples offer both front and back views, which, glued together at the edges, could be put over the paper bodies. From the end of the century, clothing parts to be provided with folded flaps, which were only hung in front of the figures, became predominant.

Paper dress-up dolls were used for advertising, appeared in magazines and newspapers, and covered a variety of subjects and time periods. They became sought-after collector's items after World War II because old examples become rare over time due to the limited lifespan of paper. To this day, dress-up dolls are still made from paper or distributed for printing via the Internet.