John W. Sheetz & Sons

The company “Schildkröt-Puppen was founded in Mannheim in 1873. The first doll made from celluloid was manufactured in 1896. The “turtle”, which is the company’s trademark, was registered with the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin. Schildkröt is the oldest manufacturer of dolls continuously producing dolls from 1896 till today. Celluloid was used to manufacture the first dolls. In the manufacture of dolls this material was a revolution because celluloid was break-proof, washable, color-fast, and hygienic.

In the classic collection Schildkröt today produces replicas in a limited number of pieces. These dolls are duplicates of old models. Today we are using tortulone for our duplicates. Tortulone is a high-quality plastic material to which, like the celluloid, the blowing method can be applied, however, tortulone is non-flammable, compared to celluloid. The most well known models of standing dolls are Hans, Bärbel, Inge, Erika, and Christel, as well as the baby-doll “Strampelchen”.