Perfection as the Ideal, 1911-12

The Schoenhut “All Wood Perfection Art Doll” played into notions about feminine ideals, particularly beauty, youth, and physical perfection (indeed the doll’s very name said it all). In contrast to other dolls, with their chipped noses, rumpled outfits, and missing limbs, the “All Wood Perfection Art Doll” was designed to age gracefully, which actually meant not at all; it remained the same – perfect – forever. As the 1912 anniversary catalogue explained, “it never loses an arm or a leg, nor does that fatal catastrophe—a broken head—ever occur.” A Schoenhut “All Wood Perfection Art Doll” was a constant companion, one who, unlike the girl who owned her, never aged, faded, or exhibited signs of wear and tear.