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Ginger History

Ginger was created by Cosmopolitan founder Kathryn Kay in 1954. She had originally worked for Mrs. Graves (inventor of Ginny) and left Vogue to launch Ginger in order to cash in on Ginny's success and popularity.

  • Big-Eyed Ginger 1954-55 

  
The very first Ginger had painted eyes. She was followed closely by a Ginger with painted lashes & large eyes, and was available both as a walker and a non-walker. She had a rather coarse wig, usually set in a side-part flip.

  • Small-Eyed Ginger 1955-56

In 1955 Cosmopolitan replaced the Large-Eyed Ginger with a smaller-eyed doll that had molded lashes and a nicer saran wig, which was available both braided and long.

         

  • 1956 Molded Lash Big-Eyed Ginger

 ginger face - big eye molded lash.jpg (9672 bytes)   

In 1956 the small-eyed Ginger was replaced by a molded-lash walker with large eyes. 

Bendable knees and even bendable elbows were added as alternatives to the regular straight-leg walker model.
    Photo: Ebay     cha-cha Ginger-type.jpg (8326 bytes)   
Ballerina Ginger with bendable knees and elbows, "ChaCha Ginger" with high-heel feet

  • 1955 - 60: Vinyl-Head Ginger 

 
Photos: Ebay listings

Beginning about 1955, Cosmopolitan produced a parallel Ginger line: the Vinyl-Head Ginger. This doll was beautiful when brand new (left), and was considered the "flagship" of the Ginger lines. She cost more than the hard-plastic doll, and was pictured in most Ginger advertising materials. But she didn't age well. Today, (right) most vinyl-head Gingers look "tougher," more grown-up than the hard plastic head Gingers. Rooted hair, once damaged, is not repairable or replaceable.


NEXT: GINGER SPIN-OFFS: Many Ginger-type dolls were not made or sold by Cosmopolitan!

[ Do Your Own Appraisal ] [ Historical Overview ] [ All the Dolls ] [ Lesser-Known Dolls ] [ Madame Alexander ] [ Betsy McCall ] [ Ginger ] [ Ginny ] [ Molded-On T-Strap Shoe Dolls ] [ Mindy ] [ Muffie ] [ 8-Inch Teen Dolls ] [ Barbie ] [ 9 - Inch Child-Bodied Dolls ]

[ Ginger History ] [ Ginger Spinoffs ] [ How To Identify Ginger ] [ Painted-Toe Ginger Spinoffs ]

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