In Jacqueline Susanne’s novel Valley of the Dolls, the term ‘dolls’ refers not to attractive women, but to the prescription amphetamines and barbiturates which the characters used during the 20 year period from 1945 to 1965. How long did this term persist? I was born in ’61 and have never heard it used in this manner. When did the term fall into disuse?
I only ever heard anybody refer to it that way in that book, or when talking about that book. So I’m kinda interested in the answer to this, too.
Huh! I always that doll as in that book’s title referred to "dress someone or oneself smartly and attractively. “I got all dolled up for a party”
So that the book was about women totally concerned with makeup, fancy clothes, etc.
The relevant definition in the Historical Dictionary of American Slang is:
(my emphasis)
There is only one citation other than the novel, from a 1974 book called Mind Drugs, which just seems to be a list of drug names.
The definition of “dolly” referenced above is:
The first citation for “dolly” is from a letter by W.S. Burroughs in 1954.