R.G. Krueger Snow White Cloth Dolls

R.G. Krueger, Inc. was best known for their Kewpie dolls in the 1920s-30s. They also made other cloth dolls, including a Snow White and Seven Dwarfs set from 1938-40 with sewn bodies. Snow White came with a velvet silk-lined dress or an organdy dress. The dwarfs wear velveteen or a washable sharkskin worsted fabric. All have painted faces made of pressed molded cloth. The dwarfs also have plush beards (except Dopey). Each doll has a sewn label that reads, "Authentic Walt Disney Character - Exclusive with R.G. Krueger - New York." A few forest animals were also produced.

The dolls were pictured on the cover of the September/October 1987 edition of Collectors' Showcase magazine.

Image scan courtesy of William Stillman.

Snow White measures about 19". This one wears a silk dress with a extremely faded blue cloth bodice and cape.

In the next example, the dress is in descent condition, but the face is not.

The dwarfs measure around 12" tall.

Set image via TimelessPiecesAntiques.

Sleepy and Grumpy are pictured in Dawn Herlocher's 200 Years of Dolls, 3rd edition, 2005, p.249. Sneezy is listed in Hake's Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles, 2nd edition, 2007, p.849.

In many dolls, the color dyes in the velveteen tends to fade, particularly those exposed to bright light and other elements. Dopey's jacket was originally green and his hat purple.

Images via CaliforniaGirls.

On this next doll, the colors have disappeared.

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An advertisement (left) in the April 1938 Playthings toy trade journal (p.307) features the Krueger dolls. It lists the height of Snow White as 18" and the dwarfs at 15". Patrons in the New York City area could visit the Krueger showrooms to see the Royal Display Coach pictured in this ad. In the 1974 book, Disneyana by Cecil Munsey, p 62 (right), we see the dolls including forest animals.

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In a 1940 Bennett Brothers Inc. catalog, an 18" musical Snow White doll is listed. Plays I'm Wishing.

Catalog ad image via gdawg.