Creep into the Halloween weekend with this patent model from the Smithsonian National Museum of History.
It’s George Pemberton Clarke’s 1871 “Natural Creeping Baby Doll.”
The original patent office tag is still attached with red tape.
—
“Well, that’s just all kinds of creepy,” Puck muttered at my side, giving the doll a look of alarm.
“If you see any clowns, do me a favor and don’t point them out, okay? i’d rather live without the nightmares.”
–Julie Kagawa
–Julie Kagawa
—
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
I didn't have my glasses on.... 
All dolls seem a little creepy to me, but this cyborg version takes the Halloween cake!
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it really does! and they are to me too
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Creepy! Have you heard of the Frozen Charlotte dolls?
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Noooooo..
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We used to find then in excavations of homesteads and they always freaked me out. Here is a story about them: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/frozen-charlotte-dolls
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yikes!
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🧡☠️💀
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Creepy!
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That is extremely creepy!!!
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so very!
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clowns and creepy dolls — remember Chucky? — are the stuff of nightmares —
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two of my big terrors in life
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mine too 🙂
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Most dolls are creepy enough, but this one is actually creeping!
Best wishes, Pete.
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well said!
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creepy indeed! 🙂
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right?)
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My goody halloween song
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perfect!!
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This vintage doll appears quite realistic, Beth, but I wonder why they built a coffee table on its back!
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it’s creepy in every way
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Yikes! Nothing creepier that creepy ol’ dolls! Beth, when my youngest son turned 18 he wanted a tattoo. We went to the parlor and a creepy doll was on the shelf. After many years of creepy movies and dolls we looked at each other and laughed. We both saw it as a sign he had nothing to fear but that doll! Lol
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Right!
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So creepy! I wonder who the original audience for this little nightmare-inducer might have been?
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I can’t think of anyone
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Always thought dolls were rather creepy…
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Me too!
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You do find the most obscure facts and coordinating photos. It would be a rare child who would embrace this “doll” and love up on it!
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Exactly!
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Yep, creepy is the operative word.
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It so is
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Uhm…..I’m a little stuck on what to say. 😂 👍 for mechanism idea 👎 for execution of design… 🤷🏻♀️
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Right!
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Perfect for Halloween!
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High creep factor
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Why are so many dolls scary?
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I know!
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Not the sort of doll you’d take to bed with you!
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Or ever have around me in any way
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I love that the description calls it a NATURAL creeping doll. Maybe they meant SUPERNATURAL.
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Yes, they clearly forgot that part
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What is it about bald dolls (never mind ones in contraptions like these) that is so darn creepy? Now I’m thinking of Toy Story and that horrid kid – Sid – that broke apart toys and re-attached them randomly…
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Oh, I forgot about sid
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He was such a rotten kid!
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Jeepers creepers! Beth, that’s the scariest thing I’ve ever seen (other than the news). And they described it as “natural”… Ugabuggabugga…. (shudders).
Happy Halloween! Hugs
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Sooooo scary!
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It’s funny that people are scared by doll when dolls have no reaction at all to people.
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One-sided
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That is fantastically creepy. I’m amazed at how old that is.
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I agree about both comments.
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That is too creepy for me, Beth.
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and I’m guessing for most people as well, myself included
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😅
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I agree with Puck.
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so incredibly creepy
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Very creepy indeed Beth, not sure which is worse the creepy doll or the comment about the clowns cause I’m not into them either. Lol
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same here!)
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Here’s more on the subject:
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/33183
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If you scroll down, there’s a female counterpart:
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oh, wow! equally horrible
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unbelievably horrible
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Clowns and dolls do not make for good replicas of humanity, so they often come out creepy!
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it’s really close to impossible for them not to be
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