Children of Japan

Children of Japan
Courtesy, R. John Wright

Hinges and Hearts

Hinges and Hearts
An Exhibit of our Metal Dolls

Tuxedo and Bangles

Tuxedo and Bangles

A History of Metal Dolls

A History of Metal Dolls
Now on Alibris.com and In Print! The First Book of its Kind

Alice, Commemorative Edition

Alice, Commemorative Edition
Courtesy, R. John Wright

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Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory

Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory
Her Grace wishes us all a Merry Christmas!

Annabelle

Annabelle

Emma Emmeline

Emma Emmeline
Our New Addition/fond of stuffed toys

Cloth Clown

Cloth Clown

Native American Art

Native American Art

the triplets

the triplets

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby
Bought Athens on the street

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Sand Baby Swirls!

Sand Baby Swirls!
By Glenda Rolle, courtesy, the Artist

Glenda's Logo

Glenda's Logo
Also, a link to her site

Sand Baby Castaway

Sand Baby Castaway
By Glenda Rolle, Courtesy the Artist

A French Friend

A French Friend

Mickey

Mickey
From our friends at The Fennimore Museum

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll
British Museum, Child's Tomb

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll
Among first "Toys?"

ushabti

ushabti
Egyptian Tomb Doll 18th Dynasty

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

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Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase

Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase
Courtesy, Antique Daughter

Judge Peep

Judge Peep

Hakata Doll Artist at Work

Hakata Doll Artist at Work
From the Museum Collection

Japanese Costume Barbies

Japanese Costume Barbies
Samurai Ken

Etienne

Etienne
A Little Girl

Happy Heart Day

Happy Heart Day

From "Dolls"

From "Dolls"
A Favorite Doll Book

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Jenny Wren

Jenny Wren
Ultimate Doll Restorer

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Baby Boo 1960s

Baby Boo 1960s
Reclaimed and Restored as a childhood Sabrina the Witch with Meow Meow

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum
L to R: K*R /celluloid head, all bisque Artist Googly, 14 in. vinyl inuit sixties, early celluloid Skookum type.

Two More Rescued Dolls

Two More Rescued Dolls
Late Sixties Vinyl: L to R: Probably Horseman, all vinyl, jointed. New wig. R: Effanbee, probably Muffy, mid sixties. New wig and new clothing on both. About 12 inches high.

Restored Italian Baby Doll

Restored Italian Baby Doll
One of Dr. E's Rescued Residents

Dolls on Display

Dolls on Display
L to R: Nutcrackers, Danish Troll, HItty and her book, Patent Washable, Mechanical Minstrel, Creche figure, M. Alexander Swiss. Center is a German mechanical bear on the piano. Background is a bisque German costume doll.

A Few Friends

A Few Friends
These dolls are Old German and Nutcrackers from Dr. E's Museum. They are on loan to another local museum for the holidays.

Vintage Collage

Vintage Collage
Public Domain Art

The Merry Wanderer

The Merry Wanderer
Courtesy R. John Wright, The Hummel Collection

The Fennimore Doll Museum

The Fennimore Doll Museum

Robert

Robert
A Haunted Doll with a Story

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

The Cody Jumeau

The Cody Jumeau
Long-faced or Jumeau Triste

German Princesses

German Princesses
GAHC 2005

A Little PowerRanger

A Little PowerRanger
Halloween 2004

The Island of the Dolls

The Island of the Dolls
Shrine to Dolls in Mexico

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death
Doll House murder

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A lovely dress

A lovely dress

Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann
A few friends in cloth!

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI
Pixar Animator's Collection

Little PM sisters

Little PM sisters
Recent eBay finds

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Really old Dolls!

Really old Dolls!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Of Dollhouses, The Titanic, and Artifacts

My husband led me to a fantastic Victorian doll house yesterday. After we chatted with a great couple who built it, we came home with VanVooren house, or VVV House, as I've dubbed it. It will join my growing neighborhood of doll houses, miniature buildings, shops, and shadowboxes. A Mr. Harold, or Harry? Dirk built some lovely furniture, too. It is fully lighted, which has always been my dream. The tiny bulbs glow cheerfully, and the whole family is enamored of it. It proudly sits on our living room table, and the wonderful doll family has been joined by a couple of cherished dolls from my miniature collection, including a bisque and cloth doll created by my friend, Violet Ellen Page. I dressed her, and made a little wig. She is wearing a black and pink bustle dress, with tiny flowers in her curls. I call her Marchpane, after the doll in Rumer Godden's novel, A Doll's House, but my Marchpane is not homicidal; she is much, much nicer. One of my tiny Badekinder is in the pink porcelain tub, where else? There are little rugs, and gorgeous blue rooms. There is silverware in the tiny drawers, and china and canned goods in the pantry and breakfronts. The living room is red and red velvet, my other favorite color scheme. I have many memories of my Aunt Rose's Victorian red room when I was little and staying at her house before and after school. How I loved the red velvet settee! There is a tower room, and there are many miniature dolls in the nursery, which has a yellow rug. Think, Yellow Wallpaper! This, though, is a happy house. Of course,I added a tiny ghost and one of my litte Xmas trees. There is a little birds nest in the eaves, and a porch swing and picnic table. It is too fanstastic to be believed! It joins, of course, Plantagenet House, built by my dad, also named for Rumer Godden's works, and the Japanese Doll house, and several other cabins, haunted houses, kit houses Dad built, the "apartments" made out of clementine crates, Dunham's Cocoanut House, my tin fiftes/sixties houses, Barbie Houses, Golden Girl Celtic Palace, Bratz rooms, Polly Pocket mini compact houses, Princess castles, Sylvanian Family house, etc.

I have many fond memories of sitting by my Dad's workbench when he was building Plantaganet house. It is painted in a color then called "Chinese Red," and the doors have brass lion knockers and porcelain knobs. Miniatures of all types fascinate me, and my little boy was enjoying explaining to me how this new house might be in HO scale. The doll houses never bore me; like real houses, there is always something to do with them. Mom used to knit and crochet for them, and she made tiny rugs out of my old socks. She was also good at making beds from cardboard boxes and dressing the dolls. We made little quilts together, and I loved making food from Play Dough and salt clay, especially fruits and vegetables. When I was ten, I saw Mott's Miniature Museum for the first time at Knott's Berry Farm. It is no longer there, but it was my special place for many years. I got very inspired, especially by the doll shop, loaded with tiny dolls of all types.

We also saw the exhibit of Titanic artifacts. It was moving, and sad. There is, of course, a doll head still on the ocean's floor, and it is featured in the film. There were many tiny items, and many belonged to those who died. I saved the boarding pass tickets, and my souvenir was a Heart of the Ocean necklace. We have a trunk with white star stickers, and other labels from the sister ships of the line that sailed on WWII ships. I also have dolls of some of the people on it, and a tin sign. I will hang the tickets and necklace with the sign.The best book I read about Titanic, and the most horrific, was Walter Lord's, A Night to Remember. My mother sailed to meet my dad in Europe on the Olympia, another ship by Cunard. Our history is tied to this doomed vessel, it seems. My best friend Greg, had an album with a contemporary photo of its sister ship Olympic in it, too. I wish he were still alive; he would have loved this exhibit.

The museum continues to grow and change while looking for a new and permanent home. I will post photos as they become available. Till next time. Happy dolling.

2 comments:

  1. Hello!
    I'm in Portugal, I do have something related to the Titanic, too, but I must tell you it's not a sad story, the Titanic story is not a sad story. It's about the best feelings that mankind is capable, a part of the human soul that will never perish.
    Give some time, please, and I'll tell you
    Regards,
    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Peter. I ca't wait to hear the story!

    ReplyDelete