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

Popular Posts

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

Popular Posts

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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, August 28, 2016

For the People of Italy


We salute the people of Italy, who have brought many fine dolls for centuries, from ancient dolls of bone and terracotta, to Lenci, Furga, Miglioratti, Eros, Sicilian Puppets and Orlando Furioso,  Pinocchio, The Commedia Dell Arte and so much more.   Dr. E’s Doll Museum loves you!

 

Salutiamo la gente d'Italia, che hanno brojght molte belle bambole per secoli, dalle bambole antiche dell'osso e in terracotta, Lenci, Furga, Miglioratti, Eros, Pupi siciliani e Orlando Furioso, Pinocchio, la Commedia dell'Arte e molto altro ancora. Museo delle bambole di Dr. E ti ama!









 

Madama Butterfly, Puccini, Bunraku Puppets and PBS

This afternoon, Great Performances featured Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" in a lavish production that featured amazing bunraku puppets.  Two cultures met and melded with the Italian opera and the Japanese puppets.


Effanbee made dolls of Madame Butterfly several years ago, and the character has inspired other dolls and figurines.  More later, but this is just a "doll awareness" byte!


Image result for madama butterfly pbs great performances 2016  public domain Madama Butterfly with Bunraku Puppet.  Public Domain

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

日本語で博士 E の人形博物館 [Dr. E's Doll Museum in Japanese}: 8 月 17 日にこちらのオークション。事前に登録することを忘れないでください。

日本語で博士 E の人形博物館 [Dr. E's Doll Museum in Japanese}: 8 月 17 日にこちらのオークション。事前に登録することを忘れないでください。:   テリオのランデブー、オークションでの夜は、テリオのアナポリス、メリーランド州に本社で行われています。 事前に登録を取得、オークション - 7 PM EDT - を開始に設定されているボタンをオーディオ/ビデオ] をクリックします。   テリオの楽しさと素晴...

Monday, August 15, 2016

Antique Doll Collector Magazine: September Sneak Peek!

Antique Doll Collector Magazine: September Sneak Peek!: Beginning September 3 doll collectors can look forward to several sales presented by Sweetbriar Auctions featuring the eclectic colle...

Monday, August 1, 2016

The meaning of objects

Have you ever wondered why some dolls are collected and others are not? I have. For example, why are modern porcelain dolls or waldas sneered at? Why must mid  century plastic dolls be mint to hold any value? What's wrong with post 1990 Alexander or Barbies?  Helen young wrote on dolls called secondaries, but these dolls as she described them are now avidly
collected.

 Pearce in her studies on material culture suggests it is the meaning we as ascribe to objects and their history that makes them important and worth saving. .  Mass produced dolls like those described here are plentiful. They are pretty much, but have not been around long enough to create their own history.

If one of these uncollectible dolls has provenance  or belonged to someone famous, it will be ascribed value.  Many of the dolls in Shirley Temples collection were ordinary or damage, but they were hers, and that's made the difference. Many went to museums, and prices soared.

The same was true of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis auction.

Some dolls also get into museums because of their history, even if they are not valuable.
Author. Photo by Jerry Lowe.

Courtesy, ADC Magazine

Public Domain

Time changes our interpretation of what's is desirable. For example, Coleman's encyclopedia vol. 1, c. 1968 or 9 devotes only a few lines to the Albert Marque dolls, yet they write a couple of pages to bring, Jumeau and Simon & Halbig.

Marque dolls soared when one reached the $40,000+ price range. Collector's taste and purses affected the market and created a mystique for the doll.

A brief rant on some merchants into dolls solely for money. If you have to interest other than the almighty dollar, and especially if you don't collect, you might just as well sell plumbing supplies or anything else.

A good study of material culture is enlightening for doll folk. We give meaning to objects, cf utopia where golf and jewels are worthless because its inhabitants don't give them meaning.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson April 3, 1980

On this show, he had celebrity dolls and items that the crew, of course, made up.  There was a teddy bear, and a doll, Softina, with a coal miner's hat an coal dust all over her, billed as "Loretta Lynn's First Doll!"
Just thought I would share :)