Kley and Hahn German Doll Marks
Kley and Hahn German dolls may have marks with the K&H initials or words such as Walkure, Special, or The Dollar Princess.” One Kley and Hahn doll head may only have the number 159. Trademarks may be simply the K or a 6 pointed start with the words Meine Einzige or Schneewittchen as well as the elaborate early trademark that says “The Genuine Walkure Doll.”
Their registered trademark of the Walkure doll appeared in 1903. Albert Kley and Paul Hahn opened the business in 1902. Karl Dietz joined them in 1905. Shortly after they boasted of discovering a way to manufacture celluloid dolls that would not lose their color.
Patents and Advertising
In 1907 the company registered a patent for a method of painting unbrushed celluloid doll bodies using make-up. During this year they advertise their Majestic walking doll
They registered a patent for a doll head with sleeping eyes in 1911 as found in the publication Sprechsaal.
In the 27th Annual Edition of the Buyer’s Guide through Germany, Bohemia, etc published in 1911 Kley and Hahn of Ohrdruf, Thuringia advertised their famous Walkure doll. The ad claims they manufacture double jointed dolls with bisque and celluloid heads. They include in the ad kid dolls, walking dolls, and plain jointed dolls as well as mohair and angora curl wigs. The ad printed in English mentions the Leipzig Fairs with an address of Messpalast Hansa, 3rd Floor, Room 35. The full page ad found on page 144 shows the fabulous trademark for the Walkure Doll with an image in the center of 2 walking dolls and the words “Eingetragene Fabrikmarke.”
In 1912 an interesting double faced doll patent was registered by Kley & Hahn, seen listed in the German magazine for porcelain manufacturers Sprechsaal for the area of Coburg (part 1, volume 45).
The company were listed as manufacturers of dolls and china in Kelly’s Directory of Merchants and Manufacturers in 1914.
In 1916 Kley & Hahn registered a patent for a frame for sleeping eyes in doll heads.
The company advertised in the Official Leipzig Fair Directory, Kist of Exhibitors in 1922 with an address detail that read, (Specks Hof) Reichs Str. 4/6, IV fl, st. 586.
See more about other German antique dolls here.