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

Popular Posts

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!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Halloween and Dolls and antique Wax Models for Anatomy

One of the things I enjoy is posting on Pinterest. I have a Holidays Board and a Doll Collection Board; both contain images of Halloween and goth dolls. There are more on my Erzebet and the Lady Vampires Board. Wants this year include Catty Noir of Monster High, Frozen Charlotte of Living Dead Dolls, Goth Girl from Spirit of Halloween, and of course, the Haunted Mechanical Rag Dolls from Spirit of Halloween. I've discovered 17th c. wax models done for anatamy study, and also some 18th c. models for studying anatomy. We the plastic Invisible Woman and some other skeleton models in the museum, but these are breathtaking, though a little too graphic to post here. Here is a link from the U of Chicago Magazine about a "Lady Anatomist" who did this work in wax. https://tableau/uchicago.edu/articles/2013/04/excerpts-ladyanatomist. Her name was Anna Morandi. The Journal of Anatomy also had a good article at http://ncbi.nlm.nigh.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2815944. There is a blog devoted to these figures, very similar to Santos, called "morbid anatomy" at http://The Year of Halloween.com. Wax dolls are a good choice to write about for Halloween. I still have my tiny figural Halloween Candles, shaped like witches and ghosts; several reside in our doll house attics, and others on our display shelves. Wax is associated with voodoo dolls, and with long, ghostly tapers held by phantoms. The atmosphere of Harry Potter carries out the motif to perfection. I loved using candles and caryons to make my own wax dolls, and would also use soap and candles. I wish I had my old Mattel jewelry maker; I used to improvise quite nicely with it. I used cats eye shells, beans, stuffed animal eyes, and later dolls eyes in my creations. I dressed them and made clothese for them, and read about Vargas, Montanari, March, Periotti, and other great doll makers in wax. I read about Lewis Sorensen, Gladys McDowell, met Bobbi Langkau and bought some of her dolls. I read about metal dolls dipped in wax, and Pumpkin Heads, or molded haired dolls dipped in papier mache. One of ours has a molded bonnet, with a place to attach a real hair pony tail. She is old, from the 1840s or so. We have a 200 year old wax creche figure, and some other figures including one equally old devotional child that was part of the Mary Merritt museum. We also have a wax Bru, but that is all we know of her provenance, and a couple of mystery poured wax dolls. I would love a figure from Mme. Tussaud's, or one sculpted by Sorensen for The Ripley's Museums. Tussaud had dolls made of her and her royal princess friend, made during the course of their liftimes. She, of course, had the hideous task of modelling the severed heads of the victim's of Mlle Guillotine, including, one day, the head of her playmate, a sister of the King. Wax dates to the time of the Egyptians, probably earlier; as soon as we learned to raise bees, there was beeswax, and candles have been made from all sorts of variations. Wax dolls are lovely, but hard to find. I have posted a photos of one of mine for your enjoyment.

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