Hi Gary,  Thank you for this forum.   I've been searching the Internet for information regarding the authentic paints used on antique dolls (pre 1901), but haven't found very much.  Some websites claim that Gesso (or Whiting) was used over the paper mache or composition; others that Lime wash (whitewash) was used for the same purpose; followed by a coat of Lime wash and ground colors.  Still others claim the original paint were oil paints.  The paper mache dolls from the late 19th century look and feel like whiting was used in the final coat; the earlier molded hair doll heads look more like they were painted with oils and then varnished.  Care to enlighten me? Thank you!  Valerie

Hi Valerie,  The problem you’re having in researching this area isn't uncommon. All these companies tried to protect their techniques, and trade secrets to a point. That's why in all the information I have accessed over the years on German & French dolls, detailed formulas or techniques are never expounded on. By looking at the doll itself allot of details on how it was produced can be figured out to a possible point of duplication. Both whiting, and a lime wash were probably used, and possibly a combination there of. Oils were definitely used on some of these dolls. Most of these companies had there own sealer formula's, and to complicate it even more, it was a cottage industry at that time, So I'm afraid, you can see where this is going? I would never be able to claim that I would or could know exactly what used over 150 years ago, they would be all educated guesses to a point. That’s where close examination of each doll would play a big part in determining the process, and also studying the actual company that produced the doll to see what can be found out about their particular attributes in doll making. These doll companies always tried to use products that were available locally, so knowing where they were physically located, and see what the raw product availability was in their area. This can be a good place to look, to answer some of these nagging questions on individual companies product/technique use. Try and research the Company, as much as the doll itself, do both at the same time, and it you will get a clearer picture of the physical make up of the doll they created.  Thanks for the inquiry. Sincerely Gary Sowatzka

Hi Gary, I have an old doll I have inherited from my mother. The doll is in very poor condition but I am interested in having the doll restored as closely as possible. This doll means very much to me for obvious reasons. You have been recommended to me from people I know, and I was given your website information. Could you please take the time to explain how you would restore her for me. I will try and explain the problems she has right now. I'm not concerned with the cost as much as the correct end result. The doll is approximately 24 inches. It is ball jointed and apart. It has various damage to the body parts. Some of the ball joints are loose. Some of the fingers are missing on both hands. The neck area has fallen into the body. The leg opening on one side of the body is damaged, and is too big to support the upper leg. The hair is matted and dirty, but full. I believe it is mohair or at least that what my friend tells me. The eyes are in the head but are loose, and I can see them moving around when the head is tilted or moved. The porcelain head seams to be fine but there seams to be a little eye chip (piece missing in the corner of the eye socket). There are lower lashes painted on the face. The brows are multiple strokes, and very pretty. There is some paint missing in a couple areas on the brows, this takes away from her beauty. Other than that, the head appears good and is very pretty other then being dirty. I do have the original clothing but I don't think they can be saved. Would it be possible to reproduce the clothing? The fabric seems to be in pretty good condition other then a few moth holes, but is discolored badly. Some of the lace is coming off. It seems to be made of natural fiber, maybe cotton. It has under clothes, slip pantaloons, and a bonnet to match the dress. It has an unusual but pretty flower pattern. I know this must seem unrepairable from the condition I describe, and I thank you in advance for your opinion on the repair of this very special doll, at least to me anyway. Vicki

Hi Vicki, I know your doll seems unrepairable from the condition you described but don't worry. I have repaired thousands of dolls in the same condition, and with absolutely wonderful results. I will take the time, go over each issue you have presented on the condition of your doll, and explain how we would restore your doll back to what your mother would have seen the day she received her very special gift. I'm sure your mother would be pleased with you being so concerned about the welfare of her doll. The first issue is the condition of the body. We would re-sculpt the missing fingers, match the color, sealer, and finger accents. You wouldn't be able to tell which fingers were re-sculpted, once done correctly. Now, attention to the body damage. The ball joints would be re-attached. The neck area, and lower leg opening would be restored to match the existing area of the body, filled, sanded, art work matched, and sealed to match the surrounding body area. The body then would be strung correctly as originally strung in Germany. The wig at this point would be carefully taken off the head. We would chemically clean the mohair wig, as mohair will disintegrate if cleaned with water. The wig will be re-styled according to the original style the wig had. From the description of the wig being full, I would think the wig would turn out wonderfully. Now we would take the pate off the top of the bisque head. This would be saved. Now we would find out if we would be able to save the eyes that were loose in the head. If the eyes are not broken, they would be reconditioned, waxed, and re-set to sleep as they originally did. From your description of the painted lower lashes on the face. We know that the eyes had lashes on the eyes themselves. We would put these lashes on the eyes when we were reconditioning the eye bar. We would use human hair or mohair eye lashes When this is done correctly, this really makes the doll beauty come alive. If the eyes were broken, we would use German blown-glass eyes of the same color, and repeat the process we just described, either way she would be beautiful. Now we would pay attention to the bisque head. The first thing that would be done would be the chemically cleaning of the head. This is immersed in a chemical bath that would only remove the dirt and grime, not the beautiful original art work. Once the chemical bath is done, the head rinsed, and the head dry, we would repair the eye chip. This would be done by filling the missing area of the eye chip. This area would be prepared for art work. The art work would be very closely matched, and that area sealed. Once the sealer is dry, we would match any missing eye lashes, (if needed). We would at this time pay attention to the missing color on the brows. We would take all the time necessary to match this color exactly. Once the correct color is perfect, we would use a fine sable liner, and reproduce, (match) the missing brow's color. When this is done correctly, the brows, once again, will be perfect. Now to answer your question on the dress: Yes, we could exactly reproduce the dress with the exception of the unique flower pattern. This probably couldn't be matched but we could get very close. Now for the good news: From your description of the clothing I know I can restore the original clothing. The main thing is that the clothing is still in fairly good condition. You are right that the fabrics are most likely cotton. I would think they are cotton batiste, voile, or organdy. All of these materials restore wonderfully. We may have a little problem with the discoloration and the pattern but I would know once I would see the clothing itself. I'm confident that we can restore the clothing. It is very important in the restoration process to keep the original clothing if at all possible. The only thing we have to do at this point is attach the head, put her wig on, and dress her. Then it is time to celebrate her return. I do want to mention, if you let me know what the marks on the doll, ( these would be on the back of the head ) I would let you know who made your mother's doll, a short history, and the value range. I wasn't surprised that you didn't ask about her value. I know exactly why you wanted her restored. I hope this information gives you the confidence in your decision on whether you want me to restore your mother's doll. Thanks for the inquiry. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Gary, I read your Q&A's, and one gal asked you about painting composition bodies with enamel, and you suggested she shouldn't. I was reading in Marty Westfall's doll repair, and it was suggested to use a product called ez-ply spray enamel (baby pink) after the repair to the composition body. I have been on the internet trying to find this product without any luck when I ran across your website. Now I am confused a bit. I don't own an airbrush. I want to do a professional job - is an airbrush the only way I can accomplish this? I have never used an airbrush before but thought I could just use a spray type of paint. Can you help me with this problem? Thank you, Dianna CONFUSED IN TACOMA

Hi Dianna, I'm sure Marty, and other doll restoration experts use many different techniques, as I do. I have found over the years, it is safer, and more predictable results are obtained, if you don't use a sealer in the color, and the sealer is applied last. This is not just for bodies but for all other aspects in doll restoration, this is my opinion. To answer your question on whether you can use spray paint in a can? Yes, you could probably find something that would work but if this is done, you have to have a proper spray booth/exhaust system for health reason. This is the reason I normally lead people the other way in the use of an airbrush, and not using sealers in the initial steps of their art work. (With the use of an airbrush, a spray booth/exhaust system is also required.) Even after using a spray can you would still have to do the accenting/tinting on the body anyway. Marty wrote her book many years ago, and I'm sure she has probably used different products, and techniques since the book was published. The art of doll restoration is not a stagnant art form, and all experimentation with products and techniques should always be tried, to improve the techniques involved. The airbrush is what was used on the doll you're trying to restore, (accenting/body tinting) so it makes sense to use the same technique if you want the same results. I would suggest you take a class in the use of the airbrush if you want consistent results in your restoration. You will find that the uses of the airbrush are numerous. You will be using it often, and will enjoy using this tool very much. I use my airbrushes almost on a daily basis. Thanks for the inquiry, and I hope I didn't make it more confusing. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Gary, I have some 12-inch all-metal baby dolls that need restoring. I'm not concerned with the value, I just want them to look good. What can I use to remove the paint? What type of paint do I repaint them with, and what sort of sealer should I put on them? I would sure appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you, Lynn

Hi Lynn, To remove the paint use "Easy Off oven Cleaner", this will take the paint completely off. Before repainting them, use rubbing alcohol to take of any excess Oven Cleaner before continuing in the restoration process. You would eliminate any other flaws, and dents at this time before the painting process. Being the heads are metal go to a local car paint supplier, and you can have them mix a flesh color for you in a 12 oz -16 oz spray can. I believe it would cost around $25 to order it. Try and order this product in a satin finish , if possible. They have color matching equipment so you would just have to bring in a sample skin color you would like to use. This paint has the sealer right in it the product, (an airbrush must be used in conjunction with an air mask ). After applying two light coats and letting it dry completely (a day), then you would do your art work (cheek blush ) with an airbrush. The brows, eye lashes, and lips, would be done with an artist brush. You would use acrylic color for both airbrushing, and hand art work. You could also put an antiquing patina on the doll once all the art work is done. This would be done to make the doll look old. You almost have to do this process to give the doll the correct appearance after the restoration. This antiquing would be applied with an airbrush with a medium to light amount of color coming out of the gun, and sprayed at a distance (not close), watching the overall effect as you go (be careful not to overspray the antiquing). This antiquing should be light but noticeable. If you get it too dark you will have to start over, so be careful. Note: Any of these techniques with paints, airbrush spraying, or sealers of any types, must be used with exhaust/spray booth for personal safety. Not using the proper safety procedures exposes you, and any other people in the immediate area to health concerns, and is not recommended at any time. Please remember Studio Safety:  "A Safe Studio is a Happy Studio." I use a couple different colors for this technique, one would be "Raw Umber Hue" by Golden; another would be "Burnt Sienna" by Badger. The colors are acrylic, and can be purchased in airbrush colors or acrylic colors to be applied by an artist brush. Acrylic colors also have there own sealers in the paint itself so no sealer should be needed, just plenty of ample drying time. I sometimes use a heat lamp to accelerate the drying time and harden the color. Thanks for the inquiry, and I hope this information is helpful. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Gary, I just wanted to thank you for all of the advice that you have given to me about restoring my Patty Play Pal doll. She means a lot to me and you are a wonderful person for helping me and others. You have probably heard about Mr. Rogers dying by now. Well I just wanted to tell you that you are probably one of those kind of people that he would be proud of having in his neighborhood. You give of your time and knowledge to help others, without asking for anything in return. Thank-you so very much. Donna

Hi Donna, Thanks, for comparing me to Mr. Rogers, he was a very good person. I always try and take time to help people in anyway I can. Thanks again, and I hope you have a good day in the neighborhood. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Gary, I have a Patty Play Pal doll that was bought for me about twenty-six years ago. I have never washed her hair and it is need of it I'm sure. Whatis the best method for washing her hair? Thanks, Donna

Hi Donna, I would use baby shampoo, just be careful not to get too much water in the eye sockets. This type of hair is usually hard to brush out so I would recommend using "No Tangles" sprayed on during the brushing out process. You can also re-curl the hair using the No Tangles also, using straws cut to size with bobby pins. Thanks for the inquiry. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Gary, I'm sure you've answered this question before but here goes - I am thinking of buying an airbrush. What kind would you recommend for a beginner, and what would the price range be? Would I need a special "booth" to use this in and what safety precautions should I take? Thanks for your help. Donna

Hi Donna, I'm a distributor for the Passche Airbrush Company, and this is the airbrush line I have always used. I prefer the single action H #3. In fact, I'm still using the same one I have been using for 25 years - now that's a testament. As far as price, I would suggest buying the H kit which would include everything you need, except the air source. The cost is $79.95 not counting shipping. This is a very reasonable cost being that with minimal care it should last a life time of use. This is also the airbrush I would suggest for beginners, it is very forgiving, and easy to master. Even though most of the colors you would be spraying would most likely be acrylic I still recommend for health safety to ALWAYS use a spray booth. If you are going to be using the airbrush on a regular basis this would be very important. I also suggest getting one that would exhaust to the outside, not a recycle type with a carbon filter. These do not work well enough to protect you. The type that exhausts to the outside needs maintenance of the filters to perform correctly , but they do a much better job in the long run. I also use a dust and mist air mask, (disposable) when using an airbrush, even with the spray booth. This is an important thing to remember. The residual spray that the spray booth doesn't get, you will if your not wearing the mask. Studio safety is a very important aspect of restoration, and I can't stress this enough. If you want to be there for many years repairing those wonderful little treasures, protect yourself first. Thank you for the very good question. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Dr. Gary, Thank you for your wonderful tips, and advice you offer to so many people! I have another one. What is the best way to remove a Tiny Tears head and replace it with another one? Thanks, Joyce Seibert

Hi Joyce, It isn't hard to do this but you may create a problem once this is done. The doll won't drink and wet again because the rubber connector will in most cases be broken in the switch. This really isn't a problem as you shouldn't use this feature because this is what normally caused the bodies to deteriorate in the rubber bodied Tiny Tears. All you have to do is hold onto the body close to the neck and gently pull. It sometimes helps to warm up the rubber with a hair dryer to make it more pliable, and less likely to tear. Then you would have to put the new head on the body, reversing the process. It sometimes helps to rub a little mineral oil on the neck opening in head, and on the neck (flange) of the body before trying to put the head back onto the body. This will make the head application to the body much easier. Thanks for the inquiry, and I hope this information helps. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Dr. Gary, I recently bought a very old, tiny, German all bisque doll (she's about 3 inches tall!). She was very dirty, had movable arms, painted on eye's, and a bit of the paint is left on her molded hair. I was using just water, a soft cloth, and began to wipe her off, and some of the hair paint started coming off!! What do I do? If just water removes the paint, there's no hope to clean her up. Kathy

Hi Kathy, This may not be a German doll, if the color is coming off. Sometimes the Japanese made copies (reproductions) of these dolls, and used none fired color for the art work. The German all bisque dolls art work was low fired into the bisque, and would not clean off unless a strong abrasive cleaner was used. This sounds like this is the case in this situation. In this case, I would continue to clean the doll and reapply the art work to the doll once it is cleaned properly. The art work can be reapplied using china paints and low fire the doll or you could re-apply the art work in non firing color as it was done originally. In the latter case you would want to spray a porcelain sealer once the art work has been redone so it would not easily wash off. The doll also can be left as is, sometimes dolls tell a story just as they are (just like people). Thanks for the inquiry, Gary

Dear Gary, I understand from your wonderful work that celluloid dolls often can be repaired. How do you repair these dolls? I have often seen fatal repairs with glue on these dolls. I would very much like to know what I can do about broken celluloid dolls. Charlotta

Dear Charlotta Celluloid dolls are repairable but it is not an easy task. Celluloid itself is very strong even though it is a very thin material. The problem comes when it is broken, it then becomes very weak, and even seams brittle. When repairing this type of doll one must again make the doll whole, and celluloid will once again be strong. This is where the difficulty in restoration begins, and that is also where to start. Most of the time these dolls are broken in many pieces, so you have to try and figure which pieces must be put together first, just as if it were a puzzle. Once this is figured out it's only a matter of assembling the pieces in that order. I normally support the pieces from underneath the celluloid with buckrum as I proceed. Buckrum is used for hat making as a backing, and has to be soaked in white glue when used for celluloid repair. There are different thicknesses of buckrum, so you have to chose one that is not to thin or conversely to thick/heavy. Once you have the proper thickness you continue this process until you get to a point where you don't have any more room to continue. Then the last area has to be filled with bondo. Normally I will use masking tape, and put this underneath the opening adding the bondo to fill the missing area. At this point you would have to add a thin layer of bondo over the area's that have been bonded together so they appear to be one. The sanding process is started to make the dolls imperfections disappear. Once this is finished it is just a matter of sealing, duplicating the art work, and doll assembly. The base coat would be applied with the use of an airbrush, and the cheek tinting would also be done in the same manner. I use Paasche airbrushes, I and am also a distributor for their wonderful airbrushes. The rest of the art work would be hand painted, and a final sealer would be applied. Thanks for the inquiry, and I hope you find this information useful. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Dr. Gary, How can I repair the elastic in connections between the arms and legs on a celluloid doll whose sockets were ball joint construction, and not a wire hook? Erica

Hi Erica, This type of doll is one of the hardest to restring. I'm sure that is why your asking for advice. I will try and answer your question with out seeing the doll or knowing the size, and type. I will talk in general on this type of doll. Normally these were strung with elastic, and through very small leg openings, and arm openings. How they were strung at the factory was, there were little metal clips that were crimped on the ends of the elastic. Then they were slid in the small openings side ways, and pulled taunt. Then metal clips were crimped on the elastic on the reverse side and inserted in the small opening thus stringing the doll together. The clips that are in the arms and legs on your doll are unretrievable. You will have to devise your own crimping clips, and string your doll in this manner. Thanks for the inquiry, Gary

Hi Gary, I have a vintage Tiny Tears with the rubber body. The body is in very good condition, no cracking or drying out, etc. Please guide me as to what I can do to preserve this doll. I've heard cornstarch can help preserve the rubber body. Is that true? Thank you, Bernadette

Dear, Bernadette It not so much as what you can do, as it is, what not to do. The corn starch will not hurt the body but I don't think it will make much difference. What happens to these bodies to make them deteriorate is exposure to direct sun light or any type of extreme heat. Another thing that was extremely bad was that children would bath the doll using soaps. This was the biggest problem with the bodies, accelerating this deterioration process. I guess you could say that you were a good mother, and didn't expose your baby to the wrong things. Thanks for the inquiry. Sincerely, Gary

Hi Gary, I'm having to repair the sleep eyes of an antique German doll. The head of the doll is bisque (it's a Handwerk). Both upper and lower eyelashes are painted. My question is, would the eyes have lashes as well, and if so how do I attach them? Thank you, Mary Graham

Hi Mary, You mentioned the doll had upper and lower painted lashes. If this is the case it is not necessary to have lashes but I have seen dolls painted in this fashion with lashes. So I guess, it would be up to you. I normally don't add them unless the customer would want them added. You would want to use mohair or human lashes as they would not have had synthetic lashes. To attach the lashes you would would have to recondition the eye bar. This would include cleaning all the old wax, and dirt off. The old color would also have to be taken off the eye lids. In some rare instances you don't have to do this. This would be true if the condition of the lid color is very good, and you can see exactly where the old lashes were attached. In this instance you would just put the lashes to fit in this area, glue them on using lens cleaning tissue, white glue, and add the lid color. At this time you would also reinsert the eye's back into the head and make sure the eye were not cross eyed. If they have to be straightened, depending on the material used to make the eye bar. This can be accomplished by using a hair dryer, heating the bar up, and reshaping so the eyes are straight. The other option would be cutting into the back of the eye bar, positioning the eyes, and using bondo to set the correct position permanently. You should be at a point where you are ready to add the lashes, using human or mohair eye lashes. (Note: If the eyes are having eye lashes attached, the eyes pupils should be positioned in the middle of the opening. Otherwise, the lashes will be too far down over the pupils giving the doll a very sleepy look.) The first step would be to put the eyes back into the head (positioning the eyes for lashes or no lashes) and using a black wax pencil, trace the shape of the eye onto the glass eye. Taking the eyes back out you will now be able to see where to apply the lashes or upper lid color if lashes are not being used. Positioning the eye lashes with the tracing you made, you would add the length of lash desired, and glue then in place with lens cleaning tissue (pre cut to length). After this step has been done you would want to reapply the upper lid color (Acrylic color) being careful not to get this color on the lashes themselves You are now ready to rewax the eye bar, when dipping the eye bar in the wax be careful not to get wax on the lashes. Once this is done you will have to reset the eyes to sleep, using plaster of Paris as they were originally done. I have done many eye sets over the years, and sometimes make this procedure sound easier then it is. I really don't have to say this to anyone that has attempted sleep eye setting in any form, as they would know. Thanks for the inquiry. Sincerely, Gary

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