The Dolls Of Averill-Georgene Manufacturing Company

The company was established in New York around 1915 and operated for quite some time until around the year 1965.  It was founded by the couple James “Paul” Averill and Georgene Hopf-Averill.  There had been a lot of confusion brought about by the use of its various company names which included: Paul Averill, Inc., Georgene Novelties, and Madame Georgene.  The husband and wife tandem had help from their relatives including Rudolf A. Hopf (Georgene’s brother) and their daughter Maxine Averill.

The dolls were primarily designed by Georgene and they also used the trade name Madame Hendren for their doll labels.  Other doll trade names they used were Life Like (Lyfe Like), Rag a pup, Wonder dolls, and Tag a kitty which where all distributed by George Borgfeldt for the company.  The company also collaborated with the Horsman company and other doll craftsmen on some of their dolls.  Averill-Georgene-Hendren was also known to manufacture Johnny Gruelle’s Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in the 1920’s.

Here is a list of some of Averill-Georgene-Hendren dolls:

1)      Dutch Girl and Boy (1916 to 1920) – The dolls measured around 11 inches to 20 inches tall and had molded hair with side-glancing painted eyes.

2)      Native American Indian Papoose Baby Dolls (1916 to 1920) – These dolls measured from 4 inches to 12 inches tall and were made of German bisque or celluloid doll heads on cloth or  all composition or composition doll bodies.  These also came with painted eyes, painted molded black hair, and closed mouth.  The dolls had a cloth tag with the label “Madame Hendren, Character Doll, Costume Pat. May 9^th, 1916.

3)      Native American Indian, Black Dolls, and Cowboys (1918 to 1920) – These dolls measured 23 to 20 inches and are made of composition shoulder or flared head on a cloth body and partial or full composition limbs.  These also came with painted eyes, black molded painted hair for boys and mohair braids on molded hair for girls, closed mouth, tunic with fringe trimmed with beads,  and moccasin shoes.  Some dolls were not marked although the other dolls with markings have a three-leaf clover with the RFL initials, Trion Toy Co 1915, or A.M. © Co. on its neck.  The bodies may also have been marked with ink “Madame Hendren’s Life Like Doll, Patented June 4^th 1918.

4)      Baby Hendren (1918) – This doll measured 15 to 18 inches and 22 to 24 inches tall.  These are mama or baby dolls with composition heads and limbs on a stuffed cloth body.  These had molded hair, open mouth and sleep eyes.

5)      Dolly Rekord (1922) – This is a 26-inch composition shoulder head doll on a cloth body with a phonograph recorder mechanism found on its lower back.  This was marked “Genuine Madame Hendren Doll”.

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