A Life in Dolls; my Resume

Here it is October, the month I live for all year. We’ve had at least two months of assorted disasters which have detracted from writing and from the museum. Sometimes, I sit and ponder how long I’ve been involved with dolls. I thought I would give you a timeline of my life with dolls and toys. I hope you enjoy it, as it is also sort of my resume.

• My fist doll is a Dreamland rubber bunny with a human face, wearing bare bottom yellow pajamas. • Age 3, my mother hands me two Greek dolls that were part of her family’s collection. I sat on the Kitchen floor holding them, and declared I would collect dolls. • I see my first antique German bisque doll at Fantasy Land, Gettysburg, PA. • Age 5, we visit Edison’s home, and I see my first Edison Phonograph doll. Years and years later, I get one for the museum collection. I begin collecting dolls and related objects on family road trips all over the US and Canada. • Age six, my babysitter gives me a bisque Nancy Ann Storybook doll, my first vintage doll. My first grade uses life sized dolls to portray Dick, Jane, and Sally, but she makes me a sock doll for my collection. • Age 7, my mom and I begin attending the local antique show. We find my first antique doll, a frozen Charlotte. That year, I also attended the San Jose Flea market for the first time. • Age 8, I give my first talk on dolls for the Girl Scout’s collecting badge. I did dozens of talks on dolls and toys between ages 8 and 22. My Aunt Rose begins making porcelain reproduction dolls for me. Her husband, Uncle Tony, buys me vintage dolls from auctions. • Age 9, we visit Europe; lots of dolls come home. • Age 13, our first doll show comes to the area. I’ve been attending them since. • Age 22, my first article on dolls was published in National Doll World. I received the prestigious Tweet Award, carved by my teacher, mentor and friend, Dr. Roald Tweet. • I’ve written by now hundreds of articles on dolls online for About.com, Flossie’s Newsletter, and Ruby Lane. I have written articles for Western Doll Collector, Hope and Glory; Midwest Journal of Victorian Studies, Doll Reader, Antique Doll Collector, National Doll World, Doll Designs and other publications. • Circa 2014 to 2018, I worked for various employers creating Pinterest boards and blog posts, as well as curating descriptions for objects on eBay. • I’ve set up at doll shows and had an Etsy shop. • Worked antique shows and in antique shops. • Appeared in podcasts, radio, and in local TV news shows, been interviewed by Irish talk show host, Shawn Moncrieff. Was approached by The Today Show and Inside Edition. Interviewed by Atlas Obscura. Had a story done on me for my work network by a reporter who worked for Newsweek. • Have written several books on dolls, including works of fiction that include them. I have an author’s page on Amazon, and a page on Facebook. • I’ve worked as director of social media for a doll magazine, and created numerous blogs and social media accounts on dolls. • I spent twenty years bringing this museum to fruition, not an easy task. • Still give talks and do displays at other museums, at libraries, for clubs and groups. • We are nowhere near finished. • It isn’t just a hobby; this is my vocation, and it’s been my whole life. • Also make dolls and paint them, repair my own not others’.

and, I developed courses and mayerials on dolls. Also presented several papers on dolls at the Midwest Modern Language Association conventions. Happy collecting folks. But it doesn’t just pop up overnight.

Review, The Christmas Reindeer by John Donald O'Shea

The Christmas Reindeer by John Donald O’Shea tells the story of two children who set out to save Christmas by finding Santa’s lost team of reindeer. Lest anyone wonder, Rudolph is definitely one of the reindeer, and he would lead the sleigh. The book alludes to the tradition of stories where toys come to life, often to save the day. The author has channeled such classics as The Velveteen Rabbit, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Pinocchio, Toy Story, and The Dolls’ House with his blow mold Christmas characters who live in Santa Land and who come to life after hours. The two heroes, Jack and Mary, are six year old twins. As modern children, they email their letters to Santa. Mary receives a reply from Santa that Christmas is cancelled because his reindeer have disappeared. Santa’s reply refers her to an app and their heroic journey to Santa Land to find the reindeer begins. Along the way, they encounter the cleverly named Poo-lár-is, who is a small talking polar bear, a wizard named Warnock, and an evil witch named Maladonna, who is, perhaps, just an ancient, misunderstood child. Dragons and elves, even pirates take part along the way as well. The plot alludes to timeless Christmas TV specials, but incorporates the modern world of email and computers. The illustrations are colorful and engaging. Their primary colors will attract juvenile and adult readers, but also enhance the story. They have the glow of Christmas bulbs. The dialog is skillfully done and fast paced; it seems to increase the action that drives the plot. Here, it takes a Christmas community to save Christmas, and with other stories of its genre, The Christmas Reindeer shares a heartfelt message that Christmas is more than “stuff”, that its spirit of generosity and happiness is truly worth saving.

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More Collections of Things I Don't Collect

One of my favorite shows is Cash and Cari. On a recent episode, one estate sale customer said she went to Cari's sales to find things she didn't know she wanted.in the same spirit, here are some of my collections of things I dont collect 1. Grapes and Cable milk glass. i love it, though it isnt really expensive. it has a lovelt texture and looks good with everything. 2. Glass food containers, Pyrex, Corning, Luminarc, etc. Also clear colored glassware, I also like carnival glass and Depression glass. We had a store called House of Depression specializing in the glass. Unfortunately, now its closed. 3. Small glass cases and curio cabinets. These are functional. Ducks.

4. Old jewelry boxes and old boxes with nice graphics for jewelry and decorative storage. occasionally, I use them for shadow boxes.

5. Mugs and teacups. 6. Magnets and souvenir plates, carrying on Aunt Connie's passions. 7. Little end tables. 8. Throw pillows, collecting these is a hob y shared sith my cats. 9. Found objects for art projects. 10. Art and craft supplies. 11. VCR tapes.

12. Sports cards 13. Shoes. Enough said. 14. Unusual fabricscand textiles Look at the two sets of Pinterest Boards om two accounts, and you'll see more collections. check ou also Pinterest boards Ruby Lane Dolls. I set up and pinned to many of those. Happy Collecting .

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Review of The Stuffed Animal by John Donald O'Shea

This is a touching, beautiful story about a woman who rescues dolls and stuffed toys from yard sales and rubbish heaps so that she can repair them and keep them for their previous owners to find. The author explores the special bonds children have with their toys, bonds that often remain strong after the children have grown up. Good triumphs over evil, here the evil is the doll collector/witch Vendetta Cage who arrives at The Stuffed Animal, the shelter and hospital for the dolls and toys. The book is beautifully illustrated, and printed in an attractive font. It is perfect for grade schoolers, but also meaningful for adults nostalgic for their childhood toys. In this cynical age where dolls are deemed creepy and toys become currency for dealers, The Stuffed Animal reminds us, in the spirit of Baudelaire's "The Philosophy of Toys", of the important roles dolls and stuffed toys play in children's lives.

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Our Guest Blogger, Dr. David Levy

Skyward April 2023 David H. Levy A magic beagle and the stars It is my honor to introduce you, dear readers, this month to my latest book, “Clipper, Cosmos, and Children: Finding the Eureka moment.” It is a book specially designed to inspire young people to enjoy the night sky. Whether you are physically young, or even just young at heart, this new book is meant to inspire you to reach for the stars. This book’s genesis was one day a few years ago. As I strolled into the office in the east wing of our home, I saw Wendee engrossed in the reading of an old book entitled Clipper. “When did you write this book?”she inquired. “I wrote it when I was ten. Around 1958.” Not a word about the stars in it. “David, this is the best book I have ever read of yours. In fact,” she laughed, “all your other books have gone downhill since this one.” She asked me that day to rewrite Clipper as an astronomy book. I did, and the book is now published by RJI publishing in 2022 and is available from Amazon for about $20. As I wrote and revised the book during these recent years, my mind frequently wandered back to the simple, carefree time of my youth. The original Clipper was a Bar Mitzvah present for my older brother, Richard. Perhaps my fondest memory of this little beagle dates back to the cloudy evening of December 17, 1965. That was the night I had planned to begin my search for comets. At around 11 pm I took Clipper for a walk up the hill near our house. As I ambled up the streets nearby, I began to notice a small clearing to the west. I quickly decided to hurry home. Clipper had other ideas. As I headed south, Clipper tried to go north. Our tug-of-war lasted a few unforgettable seconds until a quick jerk on the leash persuaded him who was boss. (He was, but he turned around anyway.) At 11:50 that evening, I began my comet search program through a break in the clouds that lasted less than ten minutes. Now, 58 years later, I am still searching for comets. Each chapter of my book begins with a passage from the original Clipper. In the story, a young boy named Stephen (the original name, now termed for my grandson Matthew Stephen) goes on a nightly adventure with a magic beagle who, with an equally enchanted telescope, takes him on a frolic through the cosmos, seeing the planets, comets, and asteroids, then the stars of our galaxy, and finally to the massive filaments of galaxies that mark the edges of our known universe. Stephen is soon joined by Kaia, a young girl student named in honor of my granddaughter Summer Kaia. There is also a strange extraterrestrial girl named Tania who lives on the Moon. Tania comes from a dream I enjoyed decades ago, at the height of the appearance of my brightest comet in 1990, when I encountered a creature shaped like a box, with four feet and four hands and a small head. “I do not have the power to send comets your way,” Tania told me, “but I can change their orbits just a bit so there is a greater chance that you might find them.” There is even a chapter about nothing, in which Clipper takes the children on a tour across the great voids, bereft of galaxies, that are an integral part of our cosmos. You are likely all familiar with Peter, Paul, and Mary’s wonderful song about a magic dragon, and how it describes how “a dragon lives forever, but not so girls and boys.” The book’s closing chapter explores what happens when the children grow up and pursue their lives. The book might be fun, but actually, every telescope, from the tiniest department store telescope to the Webb Space Telescope, is charmed. All it takes is a single, thoughtful gaze that launches you on your own life’s journey across the endless wonder of space and time.

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From our guest blogger, Dr. David Levy, " Of Comets, More Comets!"

                             

SSkyward ( having formatting issues, sorry)

 

  March 2023

    D avid H. Levy

 

 

    Of comets, more comets, and  Fritz Zwicky

 

Since October 1965, when I spotted my first comet, Comet Ikeya-Seki, I have seen 227 different comets.  Near the dawn of my passion for the night sky, watching that mighty comet rise, apparently right out the St. Lawrence River, was a sight I shall never forget.  The two most recent comets I have seen share the same name; they are both called Comet ZTF for Zwicky Transit Facility.  This project t uses a new camera that offers a very wide field of view.  The camera is attached to the large 48-inch Oschin Schmidt camera at Palomar.

This project has a rich history.  It is loosely named for astronomer Fritz Zwicky, one of the founding astronomers at Palomar and one of the foremost scientists of the last century.  He developed not the big Schmidt but the original smaller 18-inch Schmidt camera, the very first telescope atop that mountain.    Since this project is named after Zwicky, why are its comets called “ZTF” instead of just Zwicky?  It is because the comets are named for the project, not the man. 

The historical  Zwicky actually had little interest in comets.  His career leaned towards the big questions of cosmology, the study of the large-scale issues of the Universe.  But he was the first regular user of Palomar’s 18-inch Schmidt camera, the telescope Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker and I used to discover our comets, including the one that collided with Jupiter in 1994.  That in itself was a tribute to Zwicky, for it offered insights into how comet impacts contributed to the origin of life on different worlds.  Zwicky was not into comets, but he was deeply concerned with the distant explosions of massive stars that he and colleague Walter Baade called supernovae.  When he began using the 18-inch there were 12 known supernovae.  He discovered 121 supernovae with the 18-inch, 120 by himself and one with Paul Wild.

Even though I never met Zwicky, I can share three aspects of him, not including the most famous one in which he called anyone he did not like a
“spherical bastard.”  The expression was intended to mean that no matter from which angle you look, that person is (or was) a bastard.  One story I heard from Walter Hass, founder of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, who said that when Zwicky was having a quiet chat in a  corridor at Caltech with another astronomer, one could hear him two blocks away.  The other involved Zwicky’s observing coat, which he left in a closet at the 18-inch observatory building.  One night as I was about to observe alone there, as Gene Shoemaker left the building he said “If you get too cold, you can wear Zwicky’s coat!  The thought of that coat haunted me all night.  Third, my friend David Rossetter named his large 25-inch diameter reflector Fritz, after Zwicky’s first name.  It is a wonderful telescope named for a brilliant man. 

In January, the ion or gas tail of Comet ZTF showed a sort of disconnection in which the part of the tail closest to the comet was a thin line which suddenly broadened to a larger fan further out.  This “disconnection event” was closely tied to a sudden increase in sunspot activity.  This ZTF comet teaches us how comets interact with the solar wind.

As this article goes to press, there is not one ZTF comet, but two.  David Rossetter and I saw the other one at our club’s dark observing site.  The second one is much fainter,  visible as an amorphous smudge of  small slowly moving haze.  As I looked at this second comet, I tried to understand and appreciate the seminal role that Zwicky played in his time.  And in our time, that role has expanded to explore in still greater detail the night sky that he loved.

                                         The photo shows the 200-inch dome at Palomar at sunset, taken from the                                                                   opened dome of the 18-inch, from where Zwicky (and later the

                                                    Shoemakers qand I) observed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Where have all the Christmas Trees gone?

 

Where have all the Christmas Trees gone?

 

On this tenth day of Christmas, I must note something was missing this season.  There were almost no live Christmas trees  being sold at grocery stores or elsewhere.  I’ve only seen a few trees sadly laid on the curb.

 

I’m not seeing that many good sales, e.g. 75 to 90% off at the stores.  I couldn’t find many fresh wreathes, either.

 

An Internet search revealed that we’ve had a shortage since 2016.  In 2021, supply chain issues fueled the shortage.  Before that, COVID affected the sale of trees.  Ikea revealed they did not sell live trees because they wanted to be environmentally friendly.  Real trees have become more and more expensive as well, with 100.00 not being an unusual price.

 

Myself, I have mixed emotions.  When we got live trees, we took care of them, and then my dad took them down to the ravine for our birds to use.  Later, my mom developed allergies.  We began to use artificial trees, and could keep them up till Epiphany, a practice still in effect in our family.  The last real tree we had was a small one that fit in an old enamel pot. It was about three feet tall.  Our new puppy Smokey, was a little wild.  We thought he might knock it down, or think we brought the bathroom inside for him.  Our first dog Killer, a little poodle mix, did think that.

 

When we brought the tree home with Smokey, he promptly got sick in the car.  We had to clean up the upholstery, and minister to the tree, that had a crooked trunk.

 

We never wasted our trees.  My mother had memories of lashed Cyprus branches serving as a tree for her in Europe.  It was supposed to be a two month vacation that lasted seven years because they were Americans abroad caught in World War II.  The Cyprus branches were for their first Christmas.  After that, under the Fascist and NAZI occupations, there were no Christmases.

 

During my childhood, my grandparents had big live trees, and later, big artificial trees.  I did small theme trees, made trees, decorated trees, all through the house.   Our local Festival of Trees and the Hoover Presidential Library displays inspired my mom nad me.  We even had a bathroom tree decorated with doll sized perfume bottles.  One day, we heard a scream from that room.  My dad walked in and saw the perfume tree for the first time.  “Oh God!” said he, “Doll things in the bathroom!!”

 

My current big tree is artificial, and prelit.  I do have live holly bushes and a lot of evergreens, some older than I am.  Our tree has unbreakable ornaments; my little girl cat is not above knocking the box tree down.  Her toy box is under it; if the toybox gets  moved, she expresses her displeasure  by knocking the tree down.  My antique ornaments are in glass cases or safely tucked away, so also are my Christopher Radkos,,  Polonaise glass, Victorian glass ornaments, Shiny Brites, Dresdens and other precious examples.  Many are carefully packed away.  Every year, I look for more, and rotate collections, just as my mom and aunt used to do.

 

Somehow, I didn’t see as many pumpkins at Halloween, either.  I’m all for the environment, and one of my blogs is full of greening tips

[Dr. E’s Greening Tips for the Common Person], yet, I love tradition, too, and love that Christmas trees are recycled.

 

Well, two more days of Christmas to go.  Hope you get to celebrate Twelfth Night, and if nothing else, read the Bard’s play of the same name.

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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