Rare Victorian Frozen Charlotte & Frozen Charlie China Dolls, With A Haunting Tale From the 19th Century
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Three Miniature China Penny Dollhouse Dolls, c. 1880

This charming trio of miniature Victorian chinahead dolls date to c. 1880 and include two Frozen Charlottes and, most unusually, one little Frozen Charlie. Authentic examples of Frozen Charlie are considerably more scarce than their female counterparts.  All the dolls are in superb condition.

As featured in Juicy History, these tiny dolls are directly connected to one of the most haunting cautionary tales of nineteenth-century America.

The story of Fair Charlotte began with an 1843 newspaper account and evolved into one of the Victorian era's best-known moral tales. The story told of a young woman who refused to llsten to her parents and would not wear a warm coat and use the heavy carriage blankets during her ride through the winter countryside to a ball. She decided to withstand the freezing cold so that she would not crush and wrinkle her beautiful silk ballgown.  In the end, the young lady froze to death.  

This story spread rapidly through newspapers, poems, songs, and folklore.  As the folktale progressed through time, a boy figure was introduced to the story and, of course, he too died in the freezing night air.   Frozen Charlotte and Frozen Charlie became legend.  Of course, they were used to send solid moral lesson about vanity and obedience.

Originally these crude little girl and boy china dolls were sold as inexpensive penny toys in general stores and toy shops. Many were used as bath toys because they were designed to float, and they were fondly played with as dollhouse dolls.

Today these little china figures remain among the most recognizable and collectible tiny dolls from the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

They are crudely fashioned from white bone china porcelain, then quickly hand-painted typically with black hair, blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and red lips. 

There are accounts of general stores where big glass or brightly painted tin jars held many dozens of these tiny dolls; offered in between jars filled with penny candies and other sweets.

Frozen Charlie is particularly dear.  Male examples are far more difficult to find, especially in these miniature sizes. Little Charlie's rounded head and distinctive bowl haircut clearly distinguish him from the two Charlottes.


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Condition

Excellent antique condition. No chips or cracks. Arms, hands, legs, and feet intact as originally made. Minor firing and paint irregularities, glaze variations, and slight asymmetry are original to manufacture and entirely typical of these inexpensive Victorian penny dolls.  

Measurements

Measured from left to right:

• Frozen Charlie: 2 inches (5.08 cm)
• Frozen Charlotte: 2¼ inches (5.72 cm)
• Frozen Charlotte: 2⅜ inches (6.03 cm)

Provenance

Featured in Juicy History.  Read  Creepy Dolls: The Strange and Haunting Afterlife of Victorian and Vintage Dolls  in my Archives.