Jules Nicolas Steiner was a doll manufacturer, born in Dijon, of swiss mother. He grew up in a region where clock making was traditional. When he reached his majority, he decided to go to Paris and acquire french citizenship. He established his factory in 1855, and his name continued to appear till 1908, though his firm passed through several different owners during that time. In Steiner's way of classifying Bebes, a distinction was made between 'faces' ( figures) and 'series' ( série). Bebes are marked Fre or Fire, standing for ' figure', face.

Sie is the abbreviation for series. He made four figures: A, B, C and D. By contrast there were many series: A,B,C, D, E, F, G, and H. Some of these are extremely rare to find.

 This beautiful Steiner Bébé is named Palmira, after my best friend. She has a unique sweet expression and a very deep looking...