When we browse antique shops in search of kitschy goods, spend our paycheques at Riley Grae, or simply shop at the grocery store, there is always a chance we will stumble upon at least one naked cherub. From vintage Kewpie dolls to Sonny Angels to Kewpie Mayonnaise, the world’s fascination with these nude cupids is hard to ignore.

And who do we thank for our baby fever? Pennsylvanian illustrator Rose O’Neill.

O’Neill quickly proved her artistic and creative abilities to the world after winning a drawing contest at age 13 from the Omaha World-Herald. At 18, she sold her family cow and rode 40 miles on horseback to New York in search of a publisher. She dove headfirst into her craft, and by her early 20s, she published the first comic strip created by a woman.

“The Old Subscriber Calls” for Truth Magazine, 1896 - found here

In 1909, after one of her editors at the Ladies’ Home Journal asked her to make a comic series that featured "little creatures," O’Neill published a comic strip titled “The Kewpies." They were an immediate success, and a year later, she published a book called “The Kewpies, Their Book.”

She described a Kewp as a "benevolent elf who did good deeds in a funny way.” I mean, she made them adorable, mischievous and charming? Of COURSE people couldn’t get enough. 

Before long, there was a demand for real, tangible kewpie dolls - ones that children could hold and people could display in their homes. This led O’Neill to work with a German factory that began producing bisque kewpie dolls. They hit the shelves in 1912 and O’Neill patented them a year later. Then she was money bags.

One of the best things about Kewpies was their involvement in the women’s suffrage. They were used in pro-suffrage posters, illustrations and advertisements. O'Neill used the characters’ popularity to fight for and bring awareness to something that was important to her, and I think that is beyond special. The Kewpie's sweet and innocent image caught people's attention because it drastically contrasted with the way feminists were portrayed in anti-suffragette propaganda. Using babies and Kewpies also brought attention to the idea that if women were expected to stay home and care for their children, shouldn't they have a say in policies that concerned childcare?

Poster by Rose O'Neill, c. 1915

Poster Collection, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.

────────────────────────────────────

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴀʏᴏɴɴᴀɪꜱᴇ?

Toichiro Nakashima, the founder of Kewpie mayonnaise, travelled to the U.K and the U.S.A in the 1910s as an intern for the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. He returned to Japan a different man - a man who was now acquainted with Kewpies and the taste of creamy, umami gold that was known as mayonnaise.

In 1925 (almost 100 years ago!), he began manufacturing the first Japanese mayonnaise: Kewpie - a nutritious, custardy condiment intended to "help improve the physiques and health of Japanese people..."

Nakashima insisted on using quality ingredients; it's made with only egg yolks, rather than whole eggs. This gives it a rich texture and a golden colour, setting it apart from American mayonnaise. The brand's logo also features a Kewpie doll outlined in red, with its arms spread wide, as if ready to be picked up or hugged. We don't know exactly why they chose the Kewpie as their emblem, but it's fair to assume it was to attract more consumers, given the doll's extreme popularity at the time of production.

𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓼 now 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜, 

and Kewpies have struck the hearts of consumers once again, but in the form of Sonny Angels. 

Working at Riley Grae has shown me a lot about the world's demand for these little vinyl toys. In fact, they are so in demand that there is a national shortage of them, making it nearly impossible to keep them consistently in stock. 

Toru Soeya took inspiration from O'Neill's Kewpies when he created Sonny Angels; however, he put his own creative spin on them by making them two-year-old boys that wear funny outfits. They were released in 2005 and have been spreading like wildfire in recent years. Their silly hats and outfits echo the same charm of the original Kewp characters - they're both meant to be comforting and endearing, and seeing the parallel between the historical Kewpie craze and the current Sonny surge is really special. These characters have connected with people for the past 114 years and have continually fulfilled their purpose of bringing smiles to our faces.

We have O'Neill to thank for a lot of our favourite things. She created a character that stole our hearts, fought for equality, and inspired millions. Their impact will be engraved in our history for centuries to come, and judging by the recent Sonny Angel phenomenon, I don't think people's love for silly, naked baby dolls will slow down any time soon. Imagine one day you sell your cow and the next you create a craze that will last over 100 years. Crazy.

Until next time, 

Emily

────────────────────────────────────

SOURCES:

1. Solomon, Adina. "Prolific Illustrator Behind Kewpies Used Her Cartoons for Women's Rights." Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/prolific-illustrator-behind-kewpies-used-her-cartoons-womens-rights-180968497/.

2. Brashear, Minnie M. “Missouri Verse and Verse-Writers.”  The State Historical Society of Missouri, Oct. 1924,  https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/mhr/id/4902?_gl=1*1iy99ok*_ga*MTU3NTQyOTg3OS4xNzE0ODM4OTg2*_ga_2ERXEH2DGZ*MTcxNDgzODk4Ni4xLjAuMTcxNDgzODk4Ni4wLjAuMA.

3. Historic Missourians. https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/rose-oneill/

4. Illustration History, Norman Rockwell Museum. https://www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/rose-oneill

5. Weinman, Erin. "Rose O’Neill, Mother of the Kewpies." New-York Historical Society,  25 Mar. 2020, https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/rose-oneill-mother-of-the-kewpies.

6. Lange, Allison K. "Suffrage during the Pandemics of 1918 and 2020." IdeAs, 1 Oct. 2020, https://journals.openedition.org/ideas/9432

7. https://www.kewpieshop.com/pages/history-of-kewpie

8. Ben Zeev, Adi. "Who created Sonny Angels?" Lovely Little House, 22 Jan. 2023, https://lovelylittlehouse.com/blogs/read/who-created-sonny-angels.