Victorian children loved to play with tiny, porcelain dolls that resembled corpses. Called Frozen Charlotte dolls, the porcelain figures reminded children of the morbid tale of a young woman who perished from the cold on a sleigh ride. Instead of focusing on vanity and fashion, like the original Charlotte, children who played with the dolls learned to listen to their parents.

The Victorian obsession with mortality went beyond strange mourning customs. In the 19th century, American children flocked to buy Frozen Charlotte dolls sold in tiny caskets. They played with the porcelain dolls in their dollhouses and even hung Frozen Charlotte dolls on their trees as ornaments. But how did a doll originally manufactured as a bath time toy end up linked with the eerie tale of Frozen Charlotte?

Americans Named These Porcelain German Bath Dolls 'Frozen Charlotte'

In the mid-1800s, Americans began importing German bath dolls. The tiny porcelain dolls featured alabaster white skin, painted red lips, and immovable arms. Many stood around 1 or 2 inches tall, small enough to slip into a pocket or even bake into a cake. Whoever found the porcelain doll in their slice of cake would be showered with good fortune.

Other versions of the doll were larger, likely meant for display. More expensive versions of the porcelain doll came with painted hair and rosy cheeks.

The Germans manufactured the porcelain dolls to float in the bath, a 19th-century rubber ducky. The dolls would float on their backs in bathwater, entertaining children during their baths.

But Americans renamed the dolls Frozen Charlotte and gave them a creepy backstory.

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