Milwaukee museum traces bobbleheads' surprising journey from ancient China

Bobblehead dolls have become a distinctive piece of American popular culture, celebrated for their spring-mounted, oversized heads and broad range of subjects, from athletes and entertainers to politicians and fictional characters. Although the concept traces back centuries to head-nodding figures in China and later Europe, bobbleheads gained major popularity in the United States through baseball promotions in the 1960s before expanding into collectibles featuring celebrities and other public figures. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee showcases the enduring appeal of these kitschy objects, which have remained familiar to Americans despite periodic changes in popularity.