Wax Boy Doll

Wax boy doll, about 1860. Museum no. Misc. 12-1952 (click image for larger version)

Dolls representing boys and men are much rarer than dolls representing girls or women. Even in the Museum's large collection, the male dolls amount to less than one eighth of the total. 

Far fewer male dolls have been made, and even many of them were originally female. Most doll makers devised and used a standard body of basically feminine proportions, with a narrow waist and wide hips, as this boy doll has. Sometimes a recognisably male head was made for a male character or individual, but a surprising amount of the masculine identity of these dolls depended on hair and clothing. The Museum has several examples of female dolls dressed as men, including two which were re-painted by the manufacturer to give them luxuriant black whiskers and moustaches. Few dolls had gender-specific anatomy until the fashion for ultra-realistic baby dolls began in the 1960s.

From the 19th century, dollmakers saw the most demand for female dolls. Even in recent years, male dolls such as Barbie and Sindy's boyfriends Ken and Paul have sold less well than the female characters from the same range or maker. The big exception was Action Man, launched in the USA as GI Joe in 1964 - but then many boys and men might say that these are not dolls.