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

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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, March 30, 2020

The Travels of Marco Polo; Collecting Middle Ages Style

As I languish in isolation from a modern plague, I couldn't help but compare this time to the ancient and medieval plagues that stalked the world.  They didn't stop Marco Polo and his family from their 26 year adventure to the east and the court of Kublai Khan.

In  reading The Travels of Marco Polo, I realized that they were inherently collectors, first.  the descriptions of gems and jewels, silks, brocades and other treasures are meant to inspire wonder, but are also carefully catalogued.

I'm reading the 1934 Heritage Press edition, edited by Komroff and Fyodorovitch Lapshin.  It is a gorgeous book in itself.

Marco Polo - Wikipedia
Public Domain, Marco Polo

American Doll and Toy Museum: What's the Buzz? Beekeeping and Dolls!

American Doll and Toy Museum: What's the Buzz? Beekeeping and Dolls!: In his classic Dolls and Puppets , Max von Boehn includes human shaped bee hives that are life-sized among this explorations of the word &qu...

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Corona Virus' Effect on the Toy Industry

Follow this link to The Wall Street Journal for more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-upends-global-toy-industry-11582809430.

I'm not surprised; according to the article, 85% of the world's toys are now made in China.  Where once Germany dominated the toy industry, China has taken over.  Millions more things besides toys are made there.  The WSJ feared markets would be choked as favorite and popular toys can't be exported, or even made, because of factory closures in China.

Well, here's a chance for The American Toy Industry to rejuvenate itself.

If we cant buy toilet paper, or alcohol, or hand sanitizer any more, it figures we can't buy toys. Or, soon, anything else.  The ensuing panic is our biggest enemy. 

I've felt as though I live in a war zone.   Tomorrow, our bars and restaurants close for two weeks.  I'm worried other small businesses, like our museum, will be next.  yet, when I see side by side stats in our local paper, the Quad city Times, comparing Covid 10 to the Flu, the flu wins.  This panic and paranoia, and mass hoarding, is just ridiculous.

It's going to be a grim St. Pat's here.  Our churches are closed, and I'm cancelling Drs appoitnments because I just don't feel safe visiting any of the hospitals.  There are four suspected cases, and one confirmed in our area, all people who have travelled out of the country, but still.

My husband laughs at me, because I did stock our fridge, and pantry, as much as I could, but I didn't buy cases or huge amounts of anything.  I just tried to prepare, and hope for the best.  We've had terrible flu epidemics where I live, and H1N1 and even West Nile Virus surfaced here and there over the past years, but no none every panicked like this.

Be safe. keep collecting, be prudent.  Really folks, we've had more problems over the years at my former school because people just didn't wash their hands.  We had our share of Mumps, Whooping Cough, Scabies, Mirza, [sp?]and more.    Wash your hands, everyone, it goes a long way to helping everything. 


Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Thoughts on the Japanese Doll Festival March 3, 2020-our Display Dedicated to Yoko Ono

Today is the day of the Hina Matsuri or Japanese Doll Festival. For great histories of this wonderful holiday, read Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden, friend of Tasha Tudor, who was so kind to me when I wrote my dissertation. Also, try Judy Shoaf's A Page for Japanese Dolls online, and Laura B. Starr's, The Doll Book, 1908, available on Kindle. My friend Mary Hillier has excellent information in her Dolls and Doll Makers, and Alan Pate and Lea Baten are also excellent sources and noted authors on Japanese dolls of all types. I have a foldout Hina set that dates to the Korean War, and other Korean and Japanese dolls my Uncle Tom, an artist, brought from Korea. Yesterday was the anniversary of his death, and I feel the need to honor him. He was a big contributor to my doll collection, and taught me to paint in oils. He repaired all sorts of dolls, and brought me one every weekend. He was a graduate of the School of the Art Institute, and very talented.

As I was pondering the state of my dolls, sort of like The State of the Union, when it occurred to me, I really have three collections: the standard "correct" collection of typically desirable dolls from all epochs that appear in books, all in good or mint shape with boxes, my core collection from childhood, many in mint or excellent shape, others well-loved, who were my companions, and my artist/restored wonders. These last may be my favorites, and include my early and sad attempts at doll making, fabulous fragments of antique dolls, yard sale dolls, the bits and pieces that become art dolls, homemade paper dolls and doll houses, furniture, and clothes. I've learned from all three segments of the collection, and I don't think I could have specialized in the way some collectors do, but then, to each her own!


Japanese Dolls Display at American Doll & Toy Museum

Traditional Hina dolls, American Doll & Toy Museum
More of our Display



Dedicated to Yoko Ono