Walk through the museum and you’ll quickly notice: dolls and toys don’t just reflect childhood, they reflect history.
From hand-carved wooden figures to plastic fashion icons and digital playmates, the evolution of toys is a fascinating timeline of invention, creativity, and cultural change. At My Doll Cottage, we’re lucky to hold pieces from across every era — and each shelf tells a different part of the story.
Today, we’re sharing a glimpse at how dolls and toys have changed over time — and what makes each period so special.
In the early 19th century, toys were luxuries — often handmade at home or commissioned from skilled artisans. Dolls were crafted from wax, wood, tin, or porcelain bisque, with hand-painted faces and delicate features.
Many were made to resemble adults rather than children. Their clothes were often miniature versions of the fashion of the day, stitched from scraps of real fabric. These dolls were treasured heirlooms, passed down through generations.
Key styles in our collection:
With the rise of mass production in Europe and the U.S., dolls became more affordable. Porcelain dolls with glass eyes, mohair wigs, and jointed limbs became popular in middle-class homes.
During this time, doll furniture and prams also rose in popularity, often reflectingthe real furniture styles of the era. Toys were seen as tools to teach proper behaviour — especially for girls.
On display at My Doll Cottage:
After WWI, materials shifted. Porcelain gave way to composition, a mix of glue and sawdust that allowed for sturdier (and cheaper) dolls.
These decades brought dolls that looked more like real children — including the Effanbee Patsy and Shirley Temple dolls. Clothing became simpler, reflecting changing fashion and the economic challenges of the Depression.
DuringWWII, many toy companies switched to war production, and fewer toys were made —those that were tended to use fabric, paper, or metal.
Post-war prosperity led to a boom in plastic manufacturing — and with it, a wave of hard plastic dolls and colourful toys. These were the years of Ideal’s Giggles and Susy Walker, Tiny Tears, and a surge in baby dolls with bottle-feeding features.
1959 changed everything with the launch of Barbie — a doll that reflected teenage life, not babyhood. This opened the door to fashion, fantasy,and aspiration-based play.
At the same time, brands like Pedigree, Uneeda, and Palitoy were making beloved play dolls across the UK and Australia.
Museum favourites from this era:
The 70s and 80s brought personality to toys like never before. Suddenly, dolls and toys weren’t just for mimicking real life — they were part of fantasy, cartoons, and TV shows.
This era brought us:
Plastic was everywhere, neon was in, and toys often came with whole backstories and media tie-ins.
We’ve dedicated whole sections of the museum to this era — because so many of our visitors remember it as their childhood.
Fashion dolls took centre stage again in the 90s, this time with a bit of attitude. Bratz, Sindy rebrands, and later Monster High and Bleeding Edge Goths challenged traditional ideas of what dolls “should” look like.
Meanwhile, dolls from Japan and Korea like Momoko and Pullip introduced amore stylised, artistic look to the collector market.
Baby dolls and interactive toys also evolved — with more tech, sound, and movement than ever before.
Today’s dolls are more diverse and more customisable than ever. Lines like American Girl, Australian Girl, and Paola Reina promote cultural awareness and emotional storytelling. Many come in different skin tones, bodytypes, and ability options.
We’re also seeing a rise in OOAK (One of a Kind) dolls — hand-painted or modified dolls created by independent artists. Barbie itself continues to evolve, with career dolls, disability representation, and new face sculpts.
At MyDoll Cottage, we proudly display dolls from every generation — because every era has its own charm and meaning.
Whether it’s a delicate bisque beauty or a neon-haired 90s icon, every toy tells a story — not just of the child who played with it, but of the world it came from.
We invite you to visit us in person (by appointment) or follow us online for daily glimpses into the past through dolls, toys, and the magic of childhood.
With love
Shyloh
Tales from the youngest daughter ofa doll collector — raised on Milo, Vegemite, and more antiques than a countryop shop.
