Rare Antique Chad Valley Hygienic Doll England Felt Cloth Glass Eyes 30” Tall

Description

For sale is a beautiful Antique Chad Valley Doll crafted of felt and cloth with a sweet hand painted face, glass eyes and curly blonde hair. This gorgeous large British Doll measures 30 inches tall and is fully jointed and still has the  Original maker’s label on her foot which reads: “Hygenic Toys Made in England by Chad Valley Co. Ltd.”
The doll is in nice Antique condition with the expected wear for her age including a tear in the fabric in her chest area and one near her ankle. There are also some stains on the fabric on her body and some discoloration on her face. Also, the upper part of her arms are not as plump as the lower portion as the filling appears to have shifted. All of this adds to her Antique charm as she is lovely and would be the perfect addition to any collection. Please examine all photographs carefully prior to purchase. The doll will be professionally packed and shipped.
About Chad Valley Dolls:
Chad Valley began manufacturing dolls as part of England’s National Scheme for employment of disabled men in 1917 although they had previously operated as a Victorian printing company. Originally, Anthony Bunn Johnson, a printer, decided to make simple picture games for children as a sideline, subsequently in 1860, his two sons Joseph and Alfred set up a business called Johnson Brothers in Birmingham, concentrating on stationery. Thirty seven years later, the company moved to a valley near the River Chad, at Harborne on the outskirts of Birmingham, which later inspired the name, Chad Valley. Various types of cloth dolls were made. The earliest dolls were predominantly made with stockinette faces and later hand-painted felt faces on dolls of velvet or velveteen.
In 1938 Chad Valley received a Royal Warrant as ‘Toymakers to H.M. The Queen’. When Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne in 1952 the warrant was changed to read ‘Toymakers to H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’. In addition to these exquisite soft dolls, Chad Valley also made other toys including GWR jigsaw puzzles.
The company moved away from manufacturing toys in the Second World War. Instead they produced goods to help the war effort such as wooden instrument cases, cases for the barrels of anti-aircraft guns, hospital beds and electrical coils and starters.
In the 1950’s, Chad Valley had become a well respected toy brand. The company was one of the UK’s leading toymakers for most of the 20th century, by 1960 it was operating seven factories and employing over 1,000 people. In the 1970s however it closed several factories and cuts were made in staffing and production, 1975 saw only two factories remaining. The company was taken over by Palitoy in 1978.
The brand name was bought by Woolworths in 1988 and remained in use until that company’s closure due to insolvency. Home Retail Group, the parent company of retailers Homebase and Argos, purchased the brand for £5 million on 20 January 2009. The Chad Valley brand is now available exclusively at Argos.
References: British Dolls of the 1950s (British Collectable Toys Series), Antique Trader Doll Makers & Marks: A Guide for Identification