The Story of Young Charlotte
The story goes that in 1840, a number of American newspapers reported a certain incident which supposedly had taken place on December 31, 1839, possibly somewhere in Vermont: a young lady froze to death while riding with her betrothed to a New Year’s ball. The article, first appearing in the New York Observer and then undergoing several reprints throughout the country, was titled “A Corpse Going to a Ball.”
This article inspired American humorist and writer Seba Smith (after all, this was the Victorian Era with its emphasis on propriety and sexual restraint) to write a cautionary tale “Young Charlotte.” On a dreadfully cold New Year’s Eve, Charlotte did not listen to her mother and refused to wrap herself in a blanket because she was worried that, all bundled up, she won’t “be seen.” By the time Charlotte and her beau reached their destination, she froze to death. Even though one could blame the elements, it was vanity and disobedience that ultimately killed young Charlotte, of course!
Soon after its publication, “Young Charlotte” was set to music and became a ballad, and its popularity soared.
The Production of Penny Dolls
Sometime before all this took place, mostly tiny (but sometimes as big as 18 to 25 inches) bisque and porcelain dolls, naked, often with painted black hair, bright red lips and snow-white bodies, appeared on the German market. They were molded in one piece with their arms bent at the elbow and no moving joints, so they appeared “frozen.” Since they did not sink, they were often used as a bathtime toy. Sometimes they were actually sold packaged in little toy bathtubs. They were very inexpensive and were produced by the millions.
Around the same time as the ballad was gaining in popularity, this little toy made its way across the ocean to America. Here it became known as a “penny doll” and quickly caught on with children as well as with bakers who used the smallest size ones to bake inside a cake for good luck, not unlike a Mardi Gras king cake.
Because this little penny doll looked frozen just like the girl in the popular ballad, it became known in America as Frozen Charlotte. Charlotte’s male counterpart was known as Frozen Charlie. The morbid nature of the doll did not deter American children from playing with it. Supposedly, some dolls actually came packaged in little coffins! And that did not stop their Victorian parents from buying them. In fact, these parents (never the people to miss out on an opportunity to instill a moral in their children, no matter which era!) viewed the little doll as a perfect reminder for children to be good and always listen to their elders.
…So the story goes… But is that what really happened?
The True History of "Frozen Charlotte" Dolls
The truth, unfortunately, is not that romantic. There’s no mention of a Frozen Charlotte doll in any contemporary publications in which ads for the toy would normally appear. But there’s plenty of advertising for “penny dolls.” In reality, not until the 1940s were Frozen Charlottes and Charlies mentioned in print for the first time, and it was mostly collectors and reporters that referred to them as such. The morbid association of a doll with death played on a popular stereotype of a black-clad, death-obsessed, strict Victorian parent imparting their twisted wisdom, maybe with a knout in hand, on a child who was believed to have been born evil and required much discipline and harsh punishment to become a good citizen.
Frozen Charlottes and Doll Collectors
Once the Penny Doll with its immobile body was given the new and very apt name, it stuck. Doll collecting was gaining in popularity at the time. And the more Frozen Charlottes were mentioned, the more people thought of them as Frozen Charlottes. Eventually, an attractive legend became the accepted history of Frozen Charlottes.
But no matter which name we use for them, today these dolls are considered to be a collector’s item. Because of relatively low price, Frozen Charlottes appeal to both seasoned collectors and novices. At one point ubiquitous, they are now harder to find, especially in good condition. Many are missing their hands and arms below their elbows, since most dolls were molded with those body parts sticking out. But, considering their age, even broken ones will add value to a collection.
Some dolls have “Germany” stamped on the back, but most are not stamped at all. There are also quite a few of them with “Japan” stamps. These appeared on the market later but are still considered collectible.
Antique stores and estate sales are great places to treasure-hunt for Frozen Charlottes and Frozen Charlies. But when searching online, it is important to remember that the terms Frozen Charlotte and Frozen Charlie are often used loosely and applied to any type of small doll sold around the same time period. Happy hunting!
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