Summary

Black and white studio portrait, depicting a young girl modeling with a doll made by the L.J Sterne Doll Company.

This photograph relates to products and promotions of the L.J. Sterne Doll Company (1939-1971), a Melbourne doll and toy manufacturer founded by Austrian migrants Leo and Hilda Sterne.

Description of Content

A young Caucasian girl models with a doll. The girl is wearing a short-sleeved white dress, and has two white bows in her hair. She is smiling and not looking at the camera. The doll has pale skin and dark hair, and is wearing a dress, stockings, shoes and bonnet, entirely in white. The bonnet has a lace trim.

Physical Description

Black and white photograph.

Significance

This item is part of a growing collection of material relating to the migration and settlement experiences of Leo and Hilda Sterne who arrived in Melbourne in 1939. They immediately established a business that became one of the most successful doll and toy manufacturers in post-war Melbourne.
The L.J. Sterne Doll Company (1939-71) is significant as one of the few surviving collections related to an Australian toy and doll manufacturer, a once thriving industry in Australia. Only the A.L. Lindsay and Co. Archive at the Powerhouse Museum and the Jakas Toy collection at Melbourne Victoria are comparable.
This collection of photographs, business and promotional documents, dolls, and toys enables the exploration of many Australian post-war historical and social themes including: local television and manufacturing industries; design and production innovation; marketing and merchandising; childhood; gender and cultural representations; leisure and sport; key cultural and historical events.

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