Founder Matthew McMullen, a professional artist and sculptor, made his first life-sized mannequin in 1996 while working for a Halloween mask manufacturer. After posting a picture of it on the internet, he started receiving inquiries, he said, and it became evident there was a market for realistic and usable mannequins.
The manufacturing process has changed over time as technology has improved. RealDoll is now available in versions weighing 60 to 80 pounds, down from 75 to 115. Otherwise, the variety and range has always been as expansive as human tastes and desires, McMullen said.
"You can make a hundred thousand different varieties of the human form, and there's always going to be one more," he said.
Robert Benson is a photographer based in San Diego.