# Little clay dolls



## Jake2150 (Nov 26, 2020)

Anybody finding or know anything about these little dolls?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Nov 26, 2020)

Nice trade pipes. Not sure about the figurines could be broken off a larger scene.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## RelicRaker (Nov 26, 2020)

"Frozen Charlottes" turn up in my digs every so often but haven't found many recently. Very popular in the 1870s-1900s.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Nov 26, 2020)

RelicRaker said:


> "Frozen Charlottes" turn up in my digs every so often but haven't found many recently. Very popular in the 1870s-1900s.


Are they a real thing? I mean I have heard that term used by multiple diggers. Frozen because they are not posable. Why Charlotte's?
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Jake2150 (Nov 26, 2020)

I just read the whole wiki on ‘frozen charlottes’ very interesting. Thanks!


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## Bottlehog (Dec 17, 2020)

Around here (Iowa) we call them "pillar dolls." Dug a lot of those in privies, mostly broken/trash. Have dug a few intact ones though, which lend credence to speculation that the outhouse also occasionally served as playhouse...and some dolls were (tragically) lost in the process. It's always fun to find those and unlock one's imagination. My collection includes many legs and arms, quite a few heads or head & body pieces. Such treasures speak to us.


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## RelicRaker (Feb 11, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> Are they a real thing? I mean I have heard that term used by multiple diggers. Frozen because they are not posable. Why Charlotte's?
> ROBBYBOBBY64.



Just saw this—sorry for the late reply. As I understand it, the term originates from a popular 19thC story about a girl who refused to wear her shawl while on a night ride thru the snowy woods with her BF. By the time the pair reached their destination, she'd frozen to death. Her name was, you guessed it, Charllotte. People familiar with the tale started calling the dolls Frozen Charlottes.


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## nhpharm (Feb 11, 2021)

We dig a lot of the Frozen Charlottes in Texas as well, especially in 1870's and 1880's trash.  Love the clay pipes and the huge marble too!  I always think when I dig the toys how devastated the children probably were when they lost their marble or their doll was broken...in Galveston many of the lots we dig had alley houses and the people were typically very poor that lived in them.  Just cool history.


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## treeguyfred (Feb 12, 2021)

Yep Frozen Charlottes were very popular in their day. I have dug up three, all different sizes from 4" tall to a tiny 1 1/2" tall version.
They are wrapped up and safely stored so no pics immediately available. But, I may be able to find some old pics on the puter.
Fred


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## Jake2150 (Feb 12, 2021)

consequently found this doll bust, maybe had a cloth body as it appears to be complete.
Also, beautiful blue stoneware blob top that I cry over sometimes. This dig site has been a blast. I’ve learned so much, mostly from folks on this site. Thanks for taking the time


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## RelicRaker (Feb 12, 2021)

Some of my Charottes and marbles...





and a half inch mini


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