Happy Thanksgiving!

Doll Museum: Goddesses and Venus Figures an Update

Doll Museum: Goddesses and Venus Figures an Update: Here is a great site with history of these oldest of dolls or human figures: http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/venusfigures.htm titled Ancien...

Memoir; Writing your Life Story: Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Memoir; Writing your Life Story: Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving: Happy Thanksgiving from Dr. E and all her Blogs! Proclamation of Thanksgiving Washington, D.C. October 3, 1863 This is the proclamati...

From S. Holbrook and Blog Issues

Below is a post from Theriault's, for those who enjoy hearing about them. The Thanksgiving wish is very nice. I am having a lot of trouble getting to my blogger dashboard to add posts and maintain my blogs. I can find them on the Internet, but signing in is becoming very difficult. I will do my best to rectify this mess. Enjoy the post below.

Dear Friends, First of all, as we creep towards Thanksgiving, which I can hardly believe is happening this week, let me be the first to wish you all a wonderful day with family and friends and, of course, to give our own thanks to you for the friendship and fun we share in dolls. This year seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. It was fun indeed! Over the past 11 months Theriault’s has handled nearly 30,000 dolls (that is a lot of transactions and happy collectors!) conducted over 30 events (that is a lot of logistics) and I have personally covered nearly 265,000 miles (with 228 days of travel) around the world to host, meet, and work with collectors from a bevy of towns, states, and countries. With that has come a year to be remembered and the success of Theriault’s biggest in sales in its 42-year history. With that said, the year is not done! Over the next few weeks we will finish off with our final three events of 2012 as we lead you into our famed January Auction Gala to start 2013 (and wait until you hear about that). Keep tuned to our schedule as in November/December we are racing down the stretch with four auctions in under 21-days. Whew! Oh, and January, well....you will get the details soon and it’s going to be an event like none other. Three days of auctions that will span throughout a two-volume catalog with nearly 1000 pieces. Best of all, the diversity it will offer is like no other January before in that it features the collections of four major figures who have been beloved in their circle of the doll world: Mary Young of Atlanta, Margaret George of Atlanta, Mary Marxen of Cincinnati, and Mildred Adkins of Louisville. Each brought their own personality and love of dolls into the world of collecting for decades and as a result will showcase a complete history of dolls in virtually every genre imaginable. I hope to personally see you in the coming weeks as we bring a close to a fantastic 2012 and a bright start to an exciting 2013. And next week we can all give thanks on our special American day for the joy and fun we get from doll collecting and, above all, the wonderful friends we make in this shared adventure. Happy Collecting and a Very Happy Thanksgiving, Stuart stuart@theriaults.com P.S. Just a quick reminder to join Theriault's Facebook page as we post interesting little tidbits there for collectors as well as regular contest giveaways!

To the Muses of my Blogs

Our beloved Anne Rice has her People of the Page, and I have my readres/viewers, my extended family which I call The Muses of my Blogs. For this and my other blogs, I write for you, what I think you might enjoy or care about. I hope to start a cyber dialog of like-minded souls. If anyone wonders why I seldom get into political current events, the reason is that these blogs are a haven from the world and its turmoil. No matter how I want to rant, I remember that I retreat to my books and to the blogs I read for sanctuary, and sometimes for escape. This Thanksgiving, may God Bless us all, however we chose to envision or worship God. May we have peace in 2013, and may the world go on and on. In times of horror and turmoil, I'm reminded that art, including dolls, crafts, music, writing, dance, and popular culture, manage to survive. Even if the rest of us can't So go out and create, and be unique, and be yourselves. More later on material cultural studies, doll museum displays and research, and other holiday ideas. Catch me on my other blogs as well, and take good care.

Where else can you find Dr. E's Doll Museum?

You can find us on Twitter, hashtag "Dr. E's Doll Museum." Facebook: Dr. E's Doll Museum We show up on Linked -in under my name, too. or Dr. E's I'm on Pinterest as well, and I have an author page at 918studio.com and Amazon.com. Thanks!

The East Coast and What Doll Collectors Did before Doll Shows and eBay

We would like to send our prayers and best wishes to all our friends on the East Coast hit by Sandy. Special greetings go out to Obscura, The Strong National Museum of Play, The Museum of the City of New York, The Brooklyn Doll and Toy Museum, and the Chili Victorian Doll Museum and Doll Hospital. We also send greetnigs to our friends at Doll Castle News, and want them to know we are sending gifts for holidays to the children of The Sun Valley Indian School.

Please forgive any typos; again, there is no spell check, and my hands are bad.

So, where did we go before Doll Shows, Antique Malls, and eBay/online auctions? How did we collect? Here is my own collectors memoir, which chronicles where the dolls of Dr. E's Doll Museum came from. I have been collecting actively since I was three years old, and reding doll books since age 7, beginning with John Nobles delightful, Dolls, and moving on to Mary Hillier's Dolls and Doll Makers at age 9 and Helen Young's The Complete Book of Doll Collecting at age 8. I also read story books like The Most Wonderful Doll in the World, Dolls by Bettina, The Lonely Doll Books, The Little House Books, Flora McFlimsey and The Dolls' Christmas, as a well as all of Rumer Godden's doll stores [More about Godden and the MMLA papers I did on her and F.H. Burnett later and on my other blogs].

Well, here is where my collecting journey began.

1. Antique Shops, including our own Wagon Wheel Antiques, Ann's Antiques, The Chelsea Shop, The Light House, Old Toll Gate Antiques, Johnny I got for You, and Robert's Trading Post. I was six or seven when I went to my first shop; they were open evenings in our downtowns with the rest of the stores. I began to go with my mother to other shops in California and New Mexico, and we began to look for them on trips. One of my favorites, no longer open, was a store in Colorado called The Fallen Angel. Another was called The Boardwalk Antiques, and was in Wyoming. Indiana Antiques in San Jose was just terrific, and there was, of course, Ralph's Antique Dolls who used to visit our Masonic Temple show from MO. I used to find small all bisques, frozen Charlottes, pincushion dolls, some comp and celluloids, ethnic dolls native to the region of the shop.

2. Through Word of Mouth and by visiting doll hospitals. I asked people; when little, I wasn't shy. We could visit some of the local doll museums, 2 0r 3 operating out of local homes and garages, and some of the doll hospitals. People brought dolls for me, and I saved my own. My grandmother had a collection of foreign dolls, and the those not yet given to me are at her house residing with my aunt and uncle. Once in a while, we read a newspaper ad, and called to visit a home where someone was selling dolls.

3. Department Stores of all types. Everyone locally had fantastic doll and toy departments, some with vintage larger than life blow ups of little girls of the fifties and sixties playing with dolls. There were Madame Alexander dolls and Vogue dolls everywhere. Furga was at Sears, and Lenci and Nancy Ann were still making dolls. Bradley silk-face Korean dolls in gorgeous dresses were at big stores, and even at Walgreens. The old Zayre's, Turnstyle, Arlan's and Thriftown were known for unusual dolls and toys. They had Barbie everythig and Little Kiddle finds were a feast for they eyes. We also had Carson Pierre Scott for awhile, and they displayed miniature rooms once comprable to the Thorne Rooms. There were displays of dolls everywhere as props in furniture stores and in Sears, and as displays in the windows of businesses and travel agents. One store had moving store Holiday Displays at Christmas and Easter that rivaled those of bigger cities. I loved a goat family vignettte, where a baby goat, or I guess, a kid, kicked his little feet under a baby blanket as his little crib rocked. These were unveiled the day after Thanksgiving for years, and it was a huge, huge deal. The Xmas displays of ornaments were also very special and to die for.

4. Gift Shops; those that sold papergoods were the best. They imported dolls and miniatures from everywhere. Hardware stores followed the tradition, and a few locally still have toys, and even Dutch Doll displays in the spring. Also, you could buy Goebel and Limoge figurines, and special items. Museum gift shops had Native American Dolls and artist made creations. One gallery had an annual Xmas fair. Another museum displayed a tree full of dolls.

5. Hobby Stores, real ones, had doll parts and store displays of papier mache dolls that looked like they were inspired by Queen Anne's. There were doll clothes on little hangers, and doll parts, mosly vinyl, but some made of plaster for The Three Wisemen dolls. There were also models, like Aurora's Bride of Frankenstein, which I passed up to my regret even today, and Vampirella. Miniatures of all types for doll houses and trains abounded.

6. Five and Dimes and other Drug Stores; they always had cool miniature plastic dolls and doll dresses, also hanging on their own hangers. Kresges would import Italian dolls in all shapes and sizes, and there were dresses even for PeeWees, and some carried old stock and doll clothes you could cut and sew from a yard of cloth.

7. Trips; we always brought back dolls, from states on the East and West Coast, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, South Africa, even a souvenier pebble from the route The Beagle. The tourist and folk dolls were fine with me, and dolls came from International Museum Shops, the UN, on one occasion, State Parks, The Rastro flea market in Spain, the Monasteraki Flea Market in Greece, airport shops, roadside stops, more antique stores and later on antique malls, a few in out of the way places that were a bit like something from a Flannery O'Connor story. I remember names of places long gone here, too, India Imports, Santa Cruz Imports, Mark Farmer Co., The Chelsea Shop in Ghiradelli Square, The Importer, Whiteway, Pixie Toys, Vann's Craft and Hobby, The Marionette Doll Shop, etc.

8. As souveniers; see above.

9. As gifts from others; I got a lot of great dolls on my birthdays and other occasions, Bisque Nancy Anns, occupied Japan babies, Vogue's Little Imp, Scooter and Skipper, a few family dolls, those that were left after the War when my family got stuck in Europe, childhood dolls of neighbors passedon to me. My Uncle Tony, babysiters husband, who went to auctions and brought dolls, including Patsy and a big, mint A and E bride, also a piano bay, my first, when I was 8, and first started playing the piano. My gradeschool principal, a former superintendent, and my piano teacher all had doll collections; I had lots of inpsiration.

10. There were not many yard sales when I was growing up, and charity thrift shops were not that popular, but I made it to a few, and came back with dolls. After a doll give a way in my house, I did very well.

11. Catlogs and Mail order, including the Doll of the Month club. I did not belong to that, but have dolls that came from there with their boxes and the foreign coin sent with them. Gas stations gave dolls as premiums, and Old Elpaso and others sold dolls for a dollar or a box top or two. There were dolls in cereal boxes, and lots of premiums to send for. My mom did buy some books for me on history and some kids books with doll stories from the doll of the month club.

12. We made them and dressed them. My mom dressed one of my dolls in new clothes, up do the day she died four years ago. It was a family tradition. My grandma helped make them and dress them. I made them from literally everything. Paper dolls were everywhere, and we even made Kleenex dolls similar to cornhusk dolls, apple dolls, more cornhusk dolls, corncob dolls made from a neighbor's field, rag dolls, clay and playdough dolls, wax dolls, cotton ball dolls, dirt dolls, soap shaving dolls, carved soap dolls, the list is endless.

So, maybe we'll get ideas to think outside the box. I got to my first doll show at age 13; to my first antique mall in my twenties. eBay came along much later, along with all other online possibilities. Yet, we had Marshall Fields and the Toys of the Hour catalog, and finding dolls was a fun hunt and challenge. I had and still have a huge collection, but mine started when I was very little.

I guess my friend Mary Hillier was right; Dolls are wher you find them!

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Laura

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Doll Museum: The Early 19th Century and the History of Paper Do...

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Emma's Dolls

I missed posting on Halloween/Samhain. Life has become out of control around the museum, though we did put in a proposal for a brick and mortar building, which is pretty good if we do say so ourselves. Emma cat is lying next to me, all cozy and curled up with her dolls, and catnip mousies. We have our favorites, especially "the doll on a stick" and "marionette mouse." She sleeps with about ten little stuffed dolls for kitties and stuffed mousie toys. My late, great Opie loved sleeping on the legs of a large muppet Animal doll, and also was fond of a stuffed cow. I couldn't do move them without upsetting him. He also loved to sleep in a Victorian doll bed, with a couple of dolls. Daxie, our outher late, lovely cat, enjoyed stuffed mousies and sleeping with Beanie Babies. He also loved curlingup under the Christmas Tree. My labradoodle brother in law Dean Martin, loves his dog dolls, and carries them around to show me, especially the one's I've given them. My late puppy dog Killer, a scotty/poodle mix, hated dolls, and more than once, I found him with a death grip on Raggedy Ann, but he had his own squeaky dolls, lambs, and a plush dog. Like FDR, I kept some of his toys. He once retrieved a squeaky monkey and jumped on the bed where my Mom and I were viewing at the day's catch from a doll show. Smokey loved his white teddy bears, and he had his own. He liked sleeping on some of the old compo dolls, and loved scented stuffed animals to curl up with. He slept on Dinosaur, a flat, T-Rex pillow. When he died of natural causes, I buried him with Dinosaur. Animals have their toys, too. I remember and episode where Lassie got a doll that she loved very much. I have to wonder what they are thinking. Many new dolls on the collecting front, and many great auctions. I hope to post more photos soon, and to include more stories and information about dolls. What are your favorite Christmas dolls and ornaments? Do you make them? Do you make paper angels or cotton ball snowmen? I would love to know what holiday traditions exist with regard to doll making and doll collecting.