A Great Conjunction, and the Christmas Star by Dr. David Levy

 This is the best blog, yet!  And this took place on the Solstice, Blessed be!

Skyward for January 2021.-

 

 

                                    The picture of the conjunction was taken by Dr Tim. Hunter on December 21,

                                                        2020.

A Great Conjunction, and the Christmas Star

 

By David H. Levy.

Said the night wind to the little lamb:
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite"

                    Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne, 1962

 In the words of this beautiful Christmas carol,written during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, we are reminded of Christmas, the biblical Book of Matthew, and the Star of Bethlehem.  Famous as it is, this story appears but once in the Gospel according to Matthew::

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying,

 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”

 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy;  and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 

For more than two thousand years, people have tried to attach some astronomical meaning to the star.  From books and planetarium shows, I have gathered several; possible interpretations:

 

1)      The star was Halley’s comet.  Unlikely, because Halley’s comet returned in October of the year 11 BCE.

 

2)      An exploding star; a nova or a supernova.  Although we have no evidence of such an event in those years, there could have been one. 

 

 

3)      A planetary conjunction. The Moon did pass close to Venus in the eastern sky (the location in the east appears twice in the biblical account).  My personal favorite is a conjunction between Jupiter and Venus, on June 17, 2 BCE.  However, 4this conjunction happened after the death of King Herod in 4 BCE, and it would have led the Magi in the wrong direction.

However, there was a Great Conjunction in 6 BCE. (Great conjunctions involve only Jupiter and Saturn and take place roughly every twenty years.)  A subset of this series involved the Moon passing close to Jupiter on April 17,  6 BCE.  True to the biblical account, Jupiter was in the east over Israel at this time, and King Herod was still living.

One thing I like about the planetary conjunction theory is that astrologers in those ancient days4, more than the general population, paid attention  to these events.  One possible translation of “wise men” is “astrologers”, people versed in how the stars and planets influence humanity.  They would have paid attention to planetary conjunctions more than the general population.

4)      It could have been a miracle.  In my own life, I consider every night out under the stars as a miracle, so why not?

Whatever the Christmas star was,  we got to see it again as a ”Great Conjunction” on Monday, December 21^st.  It is the closest that Jupiter and Saturn have been close to each other since 1623, that long-ago year that also saw the first publication of the First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays.  On that day in 1623, the conjunction took placed in daylight, so no one would have paid attention to it.  But the one in 2020 was visible in the early evening!  Therefore, millions of people were definitely paying attention to it, and it reminds us of the Star of Bethlehem.  Whatever it was, we shall never know.  But for those of us who were able to gaze in wonder at this fabulous event, it acted to increase the nightly miracle of the magnificent sky.

          Even in our postmodern age, the chance close alignment of the solar system’s two biggest planets is not a big scientific event.  However, it is a big astrological happening.  While no true scientist follows astrology these days, two thousand years ago the night sky was all about astrology.  And were it not for ancient astrology, we would not enjoy 

Third Rock and the Fluffy Buddies

 I caught the Third Rock from the Sun Fluffy Buddies episode on Laff this morning.  it is the spoof on bean bag plush madness as it evolved during the 90s.  It's hysterical, and John Lithgow, who played a doll maker in Amazing Stories during the late 80s, is superb.

He makes me laugh every time, and every aspect of collecting, good and bad, is spoofed in less than half an hour.   I recommend it; find it on YouTube, or on Laff;  The show is also on Netflix.  If you want to explore Magnificent Obsessions, this is your episode.

Happy Holidays, and here are some photos of holiday dolls and toys to enjoy.

Top Gifts that are Reasonable and Fun for 2020; No Fuss, No Muss, Just Warm Christmas Spirit

 

Top Gifts that are Reasonable and Fun for 2020; No Fuss, No Muss, Just Warm

Christmas Spirit

 

 

We are only at the first of the month, no need to panic, but many of us have a lot of Santa work to do.  Covid 19 notwithstanding, we still have friends to mail things to, coworkers, others we just want to remember.  Here are some top ideas.

 

1. Hand sanitizer; many come in fancy little bottles done up for the holidays.  Nordstrom Rack had some cute ones, but Dollar Tree also has neat ones’ for your purse or pocket.  Put them in a cup with some candy, or a tiny stocking.  They are a thoughtful, healthful gift and a good stocking stuffer.  I used to get one from my coworkers fairly often, usually gingerbread scented from Walgreens.  I really appreciated it.
2. A box of Christmas cards for those too busy and stressed to by their own.  This happened to me one year, and my dear friend Kathy Borowski, now in Heaven, brought me a lovely box of cards as my gift.  She knew I wanted to send cards to everyone at work especially, but with my mom sick, repeated ice storms, and tons of work to take home, she knew I couldn’t get out.
3. Christmas ornaments, vintage, homemade, quirky, Hallmark, or elaborate, make nice gifts for those who celebrate.  There are also small menorahs and Hanukkah gelt [chocolate coins in gold foil], Hanukkah gnomes, trolls, and dreidls.  For Kwanzaa, there are angels and Kwanzaa gift giver figures, and also art shaped like gourds for the harvest.  Marilyn Scott-Watters, The Toy Maker, has great printable ideas, free to print and make, easy to do, for all these Holidays at the toymaker.com.
4. The obvious; Face Masks!  Get a packet of disposable ones as stocking stuffers, or fancier versions you can get anywhere in Hobby Lobby, or department stores.  I picked up a cutie with kitten Santas yesterday at Home Goods.
5. Hand warmers; you can get them at drug stores or grocery store, two to a pack, or around $10.00 for a pack of maybe 8.  I saw them at Bass Pro Shops, too.  Add a pair of dollar store gloves, or texting gloves from your favorite department store.
6. If you have artists and crafters on your list, pick up some skeins of gloss, yarn, extra paint, brushes, sketch books, you get it.  If you know your loved one is working on a particular project, ask what s/he needs to finish and contribute.  Ditto gardeners; you can always find rakes, baskets, gloves, garden clogs, hats, and even seeds and cuttings online at places like Logee’s.
7. Ear Buds; for those plugged in , you can never have enough.  They even sell them at the dollar section at Target.
8. Collectibles; see who on your list is a collector.  Museum shops have tiny rocks and minerals, or kits for them.  Hobby Lobby has supplies for stamp and coin collectors, as well as model builders.  There are great places for buying dolls on Etsy and eBay, as well as Ruby Lane.com.  Check out local toy stores, and stores like Farm and Fleet for their toy sections.  Lots of collectors love Star Wars and Hot Wheels, not to mention Playmobil and Lego, and there’s a lot out there for them.
9. Hats and scarves; you can never have too many.  There are great Burberry inspired designs that are reasonable, as well as cashmere, wool, blends, printed, silk, and velvet.  Import stores have gorgeous examples from India and Pakistan.  If you knit and crochet, now’s your chance to make someone you love feel warm and fuzzy!
10. Books; yes, we still read them and love them.  Ditto, magazine subscriptions.  Library sales are still around, you can buy online, of course.  Check local thrift stores, antiquarian book sellers, antique shops, gift stores, and brick and mortar book stores for favorite authors on friends’ lists.  Tie a pretty ribbon around a stack of favorite books, and watch them smile.  

 

Remember that it is the thought that counts; people love to be remembered.  If you can’t mail gifts, try sending an elaborate popup card like those Hallmark offers, or a card that sings.  You can also send candy, good gifts, and fruit baskets from local sellers, or larger companies like Hickory Farms, Fiji, and Harry and David.  Be safe, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Peace and Health to all of us in 2021.  I have to quote it, “God Bless us Everyone!”

 

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: In the Autumn of our Years; Women of a Certain Age

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: In the Autumn of our Years; Women of a Certain Age:   Women of a Certain Age; Autumn   “You’re ageless, timeless, lace and fineness/ you’re beauty and elegance.”      

                   ...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Progress Update on my latest book and our Museum

American Doll and Toy Museum: Progress Update on my latest book and our Museum:   Polly Mann, Las Meninas, inspired by Velasquez's Painting of the Same name Greetings from a cold, blustery November Day.   Had I not s...

Skyward November 202 Dr. David Levy OSIRIS-REXx

 From our guest blogger, Dr. David Levy.  We have a variety of space toys and memorabilia in our museum, even a few meteorites and model rockets.  We dedicate this post to the memory of our friend, teacher, and Mentor, Dr. Roald Tweet, d. Nov. 4, 2020.

Skyward for November 2020

 

David H. Levy

 

Hello, Bennu!

 

          Not long ago OSIRIS-REx, a spacecraft sponsored by the University of Arizona and flown by NASA gently touched the surface of asteroid No. 101955, an asteroid named Bennu, tried to grab some material, and then quickly took off again.  It was the first try, but it was a huge success!  The craft gathered more than twice what was expected—so much that some small pieces of material started to leak out.

Of course, if all the sample leaked out, then there was no sample.  But that won’t happen.  NASA plans to transfer the material to a safe storage container earlier than expected, and then the sample will be safe. 

          The mission, run jointly by NASA and the University of Arizona,  cost the U.S. taxpayers about eight hundred million dollars, plus about 185 million for the launch aboard an Atlas V rocket.  The Osiris-Rex is an acronym for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer.  Asteroid Bennu is an interesting choice.  Bennu was the name for an Egyptian mythological bird associated with creation, the Sun, and rebirth.  But much as the name might inspire us to look back at the early days of our solar system (which it does), that’s not the real reason this particular asteroid was chosen.  Bennu is a C-type asteroid. It is also a sort of time capsule dating back to the birth and early  evolution of the solar system.  C is for carbonaceous asteroid, but it is a B sub-type because it is primitive.  The reason for this is that it had undergone almost no geological change since it formed.

          Especially if you pay taxes to the government of the United States, you may wonder why more than 800 million dollars was sent to this distant spot of lightb in the sky.  I could begin to answer this by saying that Bennu’s sample will teach us about what the solar system was made of at its formation.  From that, Bennu could give us a healthy idea about what the Earth itself was like at its birth.  Sometime after it was formed, its orbit changed so that now, every few dozen years it gets pretty close to Earth.  There is a very small chance that it might hit Earth in the distant future.  Dolores Hill, a long-time member of the OSIRIS-Rex team adds: “NASA sent this mission to Bennu, a primitive body, to return a pristine, protected sample so we could better understand the beginning and history of the solar system, formation of organic compounds important to life, and understand how Main-belt asteroids migrate to the inner solar system to become Near-earth asteroids.”

 

          All this is fine, but couldn’t that money be better spent on Earth, to feed the starving, cure those afflicted with coronavirus, house the homeless, and do all the other things we thought we could drop when we decided to go to the Moon in the 1960s?

          Yes, it could.  Except for one thing.  Going to the Moon seemed pointless until we all were glued to television, watching breathlessly as one human stepped onto the surface of another world.  Dear readers, we are explorers.  It is in our blood, our DNA, in our hopes and dreams.  And in the midst of this horrible pandemic, a small piece of human-built machinery tapped the surface of a distant world and grabbed a sample.  Indeed, space journeys like this one help make life worth living.  We live here.  This is our neighborhood. We reach for the stars.

 

Figure 1.  This photograph of asteroid Bennu   It is a a composite of
images taken from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on December 2, 2018.

 

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Pym, Paternity, and Plastic Bags

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Pym, Paternity, and Plastic Bags:    This cold, blustery November day is the third anniversary of my Dad’s death.  I remember everything about him, including how neat and pre...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Coffee with Dr. Roald Tweet

American Doll and Toy Museum: Coffee with Dr. Roald Tweet:   When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d, And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night, I mourn’d, and yet shall m...

 

Modern Porcelain Dolls from Asia and Waldas; 10 Good Things

 

 

Can

you spot some modern porcelains in this photo of some

museum dolls that I assembled for this post?

Certainly, I don’t want to give the wrong idea with this post.  My specialty areas are antique doll, emphasis French bisque and metal, international dolls, emphasis African, Greek, Spanish, with many amazing old and vintage examples in between.  I could fill my 5000 sq. foot building with nothing but antiques and vintage dolls.  Yet, if dolls are humanities historians, then we need to study all dolls, and at the very least to comment on them.  Among the most ignored and vilified dolls today are the modern porcelain dolls made in Asia over the last 40 years.

 

Two examples with fancy dresses.

They were all the rage from about 1970 to 2005.  Some were very expensive, and others appeared in Dollar stores, even supermarkets like Aldi.   K-Mart featured very large, beautiful examples, Hallmark made a few, including its tiny Diana ornament.  High End department stores carried them in their gift sections, and some furniture stores featured dolls of the month. Geppetto made lovely examples and clothes in all price ranges.  They usually sold at mall kiosks during the holiday season.  Their name, of course, alludes to Pinocchio.

 

A rough looking little doll in the brown dress made her debut in magazine ads in around 1979.  She was dubbed Walda and appeared in variations including clown and Pierrot outfits, different dresses, with sleep eyes (Toys R Us), etc.

 

More expressive example.

Two typical modern porcelain dolls of the late 90s.

Then, like Hummels, Precious Moments, Beanie Babies, Lladro, and other collectibles, they fell out of favor, were ridiculed, and became yard sale items. Entire collections, in the box, ended up at thrift stores.  Others were dubbed “creepy” and were turned into monster dolls or showed up as haunted house props.   One woman in San Clemente had a terrible epiphany when she left her daughter’s dolls on neighbor’s porches for their daughters.    Inside Edition actually contacted me about it, and I wrote an article for Doll Collecting at About.com.  The police “took the dolls” into custody because they were “creepy”, and some feared a pedophile in their midst.  Really?   I hope the officers remembered to read the dolls their rights. LOL!

 

These dolls, varied, and made by m companies, are usually mass produced, but hand finished.  Most come from China, or other parts of Asia.  Known companies include Gold Key, Brass Key, Catherine Collection Cathay House, Paradise Galleries, Duck House, Heritage Mint, William Tung, Marian Yu Designs, and more.  A few were also made in vinyl made to look like porcelain.

 

They are not like the Shackman reproduction dolls made in Japan during the mid 20^th century, nor are they, for the most part, antique reproductions.  So, Mark Farmer, Emma Clear, Polly Mann, and the like are not in the running, though another post will address these reproductions, many now over 70 years old and vintage.

 

Doll on left is a late French Bisque, "cold" painted.  On the right

is a modern porcelain with a character face, probably Duck House.

Here are some good reasons for collecting these dolls.  Remember a few years ago Barbie clones like Maddie Mod were ignored, too.  Now, people specialize in them and books have been written about them.   Just a few years ago, sixties vinyl dolls and other modern dolls were ignored by serious collectors, really by any collectors. They had a surge in popularity and price after Pat Smith wrote her Modern Collectors dolls, took a dive when online sales burgeoned, but still have a strong following now.  Now is the time to buy modern porcelain dolls.  They deserve to be curated, and are part of doll history.

 

Reasons to appreciate and collect modern porcelain dolls from Asia and elsewhere:

 

1. Their costumes are often beautiful
2. Waldas have their own following, and their own Facebook page and YouTube videos
3. They are good starter dolls for young collectors
4. Some use antique doll molds, like the Marque or Bru Juneau
5. They can start a good discussion about history of porcelain dolls and antique dolls made of porcelain
6. They are good dolls for large scale doll houses
7. They are good models for doll seamstresses; fun to create their wardrobe
8. They are mostly still inexpensive
9. They are a good doll club favor
10. They have some provenance as movie props or TV Props; Ellen Foster, Interview with the Vampire, Search for Tomorrow, Days of our Lives,  The Doll on Prime Video, Little House, Richard Chamberlain series, etc.
11. Look nice displayed in a case when clothes are washed and dolls are clean
12. I’ve seen then in museums all over the world, several in Canada during early 1990
13. They come in all sizes
14. Some artists dabbled in them, e.g., Louis Nichole, Victoria Ashlea, Seymour Mann, Marian Yu Designs
15.  They teach new collectors how to care for fragile dolls.

16. Small examples make great Christmas ornaments.

17. They are part of doll history and are no longer made.  They deserve to be saved.

Antique Dressel Character from our collection, here for

comparison

Happy Halloween!

 

 

Frida's Dolls and The Day of the Dead

 

This close to El Dia de Muertos, which Frida loved, I include a post in her honor, dedicated to our friend, Susan Sirkis, who once asked me to do a FB post on her.

 

Frida inspired Day of the Dead Doll with Comp and Bisque friends.

Many art lovers are aware of Frida Kahlo’s startling, surrealist art, often painted on a much smaller scale than the larger than life murals of her husband, Diego Rivera. Frida has been celebrated in documentaries and in the film Frida, based on Hayden Herrera’s biography of the artist. There is even a religion based on her and her art called Kahloism.  Both she and Rivera have been discussed for their turbulent marriage, their art, and their  politics, but not many realized that both were avid collectors.  Frida was very fond of dolls and toys.  Diego collected folk art and pre-Columbian figures. 

 

The two lived in adjoining houses, his was La Casa Rosada, or the pink house, while hers was La Casa Azul, or the blue house.   In fact, on a trip to Paris, Frida bought to dolls that needed repairs at the Paris flea market.  As soon as she could, she took them to a doll hospital. Frida preferred dolls that were a little broken but could be fixed.  As a survivor of Polio and a crippling bus accident that left her with a limp and numerous health issues, Frida Kahlo tended to identified with her broken dolls. 

 

Dolls and folk art figured in her paintings as well, especially her “Four Inhabitants of Mexico.”  In this painting, she uses Day of the Dead figures and Calaveras.  There is also “Me and My Doll,” 1937 http://www.fridakahlo.org/me-and-my-doll.jsp.  The last painting reminds me of doll paintings that Picasso did, especially of his daughter, Paloma. Note that a doll museum he visited in around 1915 influenced Picasso’s painting Demoiselles de Avignon.

 

 

It is said Frida kept pets and collected dolls because she could not have children.  Yet, she was fond of toys and collecting them even before the horrific 1925 accident that severely affected her health.  In fact, she was on the bus that was hit because she had gone back to retrieve a favorite toy from another bus.  She had forgotten the toy on the earlier bus.

 

Frida’s costumes  and apparel and doll costumes for Mexican dolls are very similar.  Kahlo wore traditional outfits from various regions in Mexico as a way of furthering and displaying her culture.  She also liked the long skirts, and slacks she wore, because they covered the fact that one of her legs was affected by her injuries nad by Polio.

 

Frida has become a Muse, and is often portrayed as a doll or work of art. Dolls that represent Frida are paper dolls, cloth, artist sculpts, wax, and vinyl.  The recent Mattel doll sparked some controversy from a few involved in the film Frida, loosely based on a biography by Hayden Herrera.

 

Folk Art important to both; Diego got in trouble in USSR for espousing it.  Yet, neither stopped using their own folk and cultural influences as themes in their art.  While Frida collected dolls, Diego was interested in pre-Columbian figures.

Guest Blogger; Dr. David Levy

 Here is our October guest blog from renowned astronomer, Dr. David Levy.

Skyward for October 2020

 

David H. Levy

 

The long summer of 2020

 

          When Earth crossed the summer solstice on June 21, 2020, we were all mired in the midst of the most serious pandemic in more than a century.    Summer is the most important season for me for one reason:  it was many years ago, during the Summer of 1960, that I fell in love with the night sky.  This summer just concluded had a start filled with disappointment.

          On June 21, 1960, I was riding my bicycle to school when its front wheel struck a curb and broke my arm.  My cousin, Roy Kaufman, gave me a book about the planets as a get-well present.  I read and reread that book all summer, and by September I was enjoying my first look through a telescope, at the planet Jupiter.  The view of the planet with its bands of color, combined with its four big moons, was one I have never forgotten.  To this day Jupiter remains my favorite planet.  As I never tire of looking at this world, I was able to view Jupiter this summer also. 

          The summer of 2020 began with a huge handicap, but something appeared in the sky that quickly altered my perception.  That something was Comet Neowise.  Not since Comet McNaught in 2007 has such a bright comet graced our sky.  I first saw Neowise on the morning of July 5.  The full Moon was setting in the west, and the sky was brightening rapidly in the east.  With a pair of good binoculars I found Capella, then carefully moved them toward the eastern horizon.  Suddenly, the beautiful comet made its appearance with a bright glowing head and a brilliant tail.    As the comet faded slightly over the next few days its tail grew longer.

          Comet Neowise might have been a highlight of this Summer season, but there were other highpoints.  Over the course of the summer I enjoyed sixteen “AN” or all night observing sessions,  nights under the sky that went on from dusk to dawn.  Most of these were interrupted by lengthy periods of rest during which I would watch some television, but the final one was not.  Session 21755AN2 began when my friend David Rossetter and I observed for several hours at the dark site run by the Tucson Amateur Astronomers Association.  One back home, I enjoyed more hours searching for comets until dawn spelled an end. 

Searching for comets is something I have enjoyed for many years.  It is an activity of which I never tire, even though I have not found a new comet since October 2006.  After all, the search is what is so important to me.    It is refreshing, it is fun, and it recharges my soul and my spirit.

 

Jarnac Observatory, December 25th

Online Literary Magazine for CM 220, CM 107 Classes and Friends of KU: From our guest blogger from Jarmac Observatory, Dr...

Online Literary Magazine for CM 220, CM 107 Classes and Friends of KU: From our guest blogger from Jarmac Observatory, Dr...: This is a great post!  Enjoy!  Photo Caption: Moon and Venus entering Clouds, by David Levy Skyward for September 2020. How to see more th...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Musings on Museum Movings

American Doll and Toy Museum: Musings on Museum Movings:   Musings on Museum Movings   Yesterday finished cleaning and emptying the old museum.   I will miss that space, cozy and in the hub of ...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Mechanical Musings; Early Automatons and Mechanica...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Mechanical Musings; Early Automatons and Mechanica...:   Mechanical Musings; Early Automatons and Mechanical Dolls   When I wrote With Love from Tin Lizzie: A History of Metal Dolls . . . I s...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Mechanical Musings; Early Automatons and Mechanica...

American Doll and Toy Museum: Mechanical Musings; Early Automatons and Mechanica...:   Mechanical Musings; Early Automatons and Mechanical Dolls   When I wrote With Love from Tin Lizzie: A History of Metal Dolls . . . I s...

Museum Musings

 Here are some notes to let you all know I'm still alive.  We had a death in the family in June, devastating and unexpected.  We lost my Aunt Connie, really the last family left to me outside  of 4 cousins.  I have distant relatives in Europe and Australia, but no one I ever hear from, or even know. As her trustee and executor, I've had my hands full, along with everything else, including the doll museum.  I have to vacate my current rental property, and the task is herculean. 

It hasn't been good to say the least.  But, we are moving forward, and this museum will my focus for the next few months.  I hope all of you are safe; we are here for now.  For everyone, pray this all ends and there are no more viruses, pandemics, public service announcements or elections to plague us.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy.  Thinking outside the Doll House should be published soon.  I've suspended Etsy sales till Sept. 1 to give me time to organize and move, but we will have more fun things available.

Is we have doll shows, I'll let you know which one's we will attend, and keep you advised of upcoming programs and podcasts.    My other books are available on Amazon.com as eBooks, free with Kindle Unlimited.

Happy collecting, and be safe.  I see doll sightings everywhere, including on Medium with Patricia Arquette, where her family was turned into doll house dolls in a doll house that mirrored their life sized home.  My Avon china head also appeared on Roseanne in Jackie's apartment.

Doll Snobs Stay Home!

We’re no Doll Snobs

As we all continue to face Covid19 challenges and life challenges in general, we find ways to move on.  For us at American Doll & Toy Museum, it means literally moving to our new building, the former 30/31 Branch Library.

I admit I have my hands full; nothing moves as quickly as we’d like.  I’m paying more rent for the current building than I thought, but I don’t mind because I have great landlords and a good location.  The challenge is packing, and not having anywhere to stack boxes that are packed up.  I try to work them into the doll landscape, so to speak, but I’m open only by appointment now, till late summer or early fall when we’ll open our new larger location.

Dolls and toys seem to crawl out of the woodwork at home, but it’s a nice problem to have.  All this gives me time to look at the dolls and toys, and to ponder.  

It occurs to me that we do represent playthings from prehistory to now.  We have everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, and while we are probably not the largest doll collection in the world, we come close.  Dolls are humanities historians, as are the toys that reside with them.  We have examples representing Neanderthal goddess figures, to the current dolls on the market.  Many of our residents are museum pieces, but others are beloved examples from my childhood and my friends’ childhood.

We’ve had wonderful people donate their treasures to us for safekeeping; we don’t sell our donations, by the way.  What I sell in my Etsy store and in our modest gift shop are items I have made, or bought especially for the museum.  Their sale helps to keep us going.

We have kept the faith and a light on in our doll house windows, though we were forced to close nearly four months after we opened.  We will keep going.  This has been my dream and passion since age 4, can’t give up now.

I enjoy all kinds of dolls and toys.  I have always been eclectic in my taste, and the same is true of my collecting.   Every toy tells a story; a museum should represent all those stories, not just one.  We enjoy our French bisques and German characters, our 1860 rubber doll, our  Liberty of London Henry VIII and his wives, but we also love our Barbies, vintage to current, our Frozen Charlottes, our dime

store plastic babies from the sixties, homemade wrecks, well loved plush, and even Living Dead Dolls and My Little Pony friends.

Too many doll diva arias spoil the hobby.  It’s bad enough we have this creepy doll garbage floating around. We don’t have to do it to ourselves. I get turned off by hearing once too often that someone who collects dolls isn’t interested in other’s collections because they don’t collect that type of doll. You don’t have to own it to educate yourself in the hobby, or be aware of what others like.  

You don’t have to disrespect what someone else enjoys.  That’s just cruel.  If someone likes midcentury mass produced bisque dolls in frilly outfits, that’s his/her call.  If another collector likes Gene, or bean bag plush, or played with Barbies dressed in home made outfits, that also his/her call.   Were I forced to specialize, I would center on antiques, especially French fashion, metal heads, and international costume dolls, but it would be a hard choice.  

If I had too much of one type of doll or toy, I’d be bored.  I’d have what Helen Young, noted doll author and artist would call, an accumulation.  My dolls don’t bore me.  My toys and the books connected with them intrigue me.  

So, as we move forward, we hope to have stir happy childhood memories, and to share our collection with kids “from one to ninety two.”  We hope to teach about the cultures in our community, and about the cultures of all the people of the world.  We hope to inspire others to study and to collect, and we invite everyone to use our many books for their research, too.

Our admission will be modest, and will be waived for certain holidays.  We will also host programs, and classes on dolls and toys open to the public.  We will partner with other businesses and nonprofits, too.  So stay tuned, we’re just about to wind our music box up, and we plan to play a very long tune!!