Happy New Year!!

In the Dead of Winter, a new beginning, and a new chance for peace.

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Electicism in Dolls

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Electicism in Dolls: Electicism, Perhaps I've Made up a Word!   My friend, noted author and doll artist R. Lane Herron writes a series of articles ...

The First Virtual Doll Convention! Begins January 10, 2019

As the bleak midwinter approaches, what better way to beat those winter blahs than a virtual doll convention!  Enter the magical cyber world of your own computer, curl up with your favorite doll and fur child in front of a roaring fire, Victorian stove, or your favorite safety pace heater!  Pour the hot chocolate, the hot toddy, the Earl Grey,  Get ready to tour the doll world and art world through great programs by doll experts, web fieldtrips of the most fantastic art museums in the world, practice your culinary skills, and immerse yourself in the warm, wonderful world of dolls!  Below is the information from doll star Rachel Hoffmann!

Rachel Hoffman
 December 3 at 12:07 PM
Registration for the January Virtual Doll Convention Open - please register to get in the convention system and on the mailing list for the activities of the Virtual Convention: https://www.virtualdollconvention.com/…
Click the black “purchase now” button and the website will guide you through.
If you are not available at the time of the live broadcasts and scheduled events, don’t fret! They do not disappear or go away and will be available for later viewing when you can catch up. Don’t miss this!
After you register and as we join the Virtual Doll Convention over the next couple weeks, please feel free to reach out to the group in a post and introduce yourself and share doll + bear photos. What we would love to know about you:
Who you are and where you live?
What kind of dolls or teddy bears you collect?
Do you remember your first doll?
What do you hope to happen at Virtual Doll Convention?

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: First Ever Virtual Doll Convention

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: First Ever Virtual Doll Convention:   In the words of our own "Doll Uncles" and Rachel Hoffman, the First ever Virtual Doll Convention is here!    We've pr...

Here Come the Holidays; Season of Dolls

The Holidays are Here

Melinda, my first German Bisque

A Mignonette

 

The Holidays are upon us, and there is no better time of year for dolls.  Dolls are not only where you find them, as my friend Mary Hillier, author of Dolls and Doll Makers used to say, they are everywhere!  Dolls appear as gifts under Christmas trees decorated with even more dolls.  Ornaments shaped as dolls prevail, so do tree top angels and Christmas Fairies. Crèche figures, snowmen, The Elf on the Shelf, Marzipan figures, gingerbread men, nutcrackers, all close relatives to dolls if not dolls themselves, appear.

 

Vintage Doll Ornaments

Vlasta Dolls

Goebel Madonna and Child, Hummel

Teddy bears and stuffed animals pop out of stockings, and toy soldiers march to their own drummers.   Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to Town, The Nightmare before Christmas, and other specials are often animations based on doll and puppet creations.  Of course, there are action figures of all the characters, too.

 

Barbie and other dolls have Christmas versions of themselves, and doll houses and mini buildings like the various Dept. 56 villages take over the mini real estate market.  Animated figures adorn shop windows, homes, and yard displays.  It truly is a doll’s world at Christmas.

 

What does all this say about us, the collectors who love dolls?

Doll Tree

 

It’s hard to say.  Our dolls and collections are the spoils of war, gained often with great sacrifice and patience.  They are what keep us going in hard times.  Dolls are a health distraction and remind us there is art, beauty, even whimsy in a world that is grown dark with suffering. Some dolls express the sorrows of the world; while others are made to help others gain a much needed source of income. 

 

Dolls are the universal messengers of peace and eternal symbols of innocence and childhood.  Even spooky dolls spark the imagination and help us realize that things really don’t go bump in the night; they are only our fears going bump in our heads.

 

My word this Christmas is once again sad and filled with mourning and frustration.  We are very, very near to finding a building for our museum.  We were fortunate to find wonderful cases and shelves, and our paperwork is in order.  I was working on a Kickstarter project to help us with funding, when disaster struck my family yet again.  So, this week, I’m off to slay dragons, and to deal with things that are unthinkable.  Dealing with yet another family death within the year is too much.  What’s worse is that three of the close circle of friends that were my support group, as I was theirs, also died is past year.  My parents are gone, and I’m almost completely alone, dealing with things the best I can. Yet, I’m not prepared to deal with them.

 

My life is not my own anymore. Still, the dolls wait.  My museum business plan waits.  The cases wait to be filled.  Small, trivial problems in a dangerous, hopeless world, but everyone has dreams.  Do they all need to be trampled?

 

With hope and prayers, 2019 will be our year.  There will be peace for the world, peace in our hearts, and peace in our minds. 

 

So, take your dolls out. Arrange your displays.  Hang the doll themed ornaments ad decorate your doll house.  Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, and go out and find the corresponding ornaments.  Enjoy it all while you can.  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! From the American Doll & Toy Museum.

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Guest Blogger: Dr. David Levy, Skyward

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Guest Blogger: Dr. David Levy, Skyward: Once again, it is our pleasure to feature Dr. David Levy as our guest blogger. Skyward December 2018     Inner Starlight  ...

Holiday Gift Guide for Doll and Teddy Bear Lovers - Ruby Lane Blog

Holiday Gift Guide for Doll and Teddy Bear Lovers - Ruby Lane Blog: The Holidays are here in full swing!  Do you know what to buy your doll and bear aficionado friends? Generally, we aren’t hard to please; most of us never met a doll or bear we didn’t like.  Yet, it can be hard to buy for the collector, or doll, who has everything, so here are... Read more »

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: What I've Learned from Dolls

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: What I've Learned from Dolls: Devoting yourself to a hobby helps you learn a whole subset of skills in areas you never thought you'd be good. It dawned on ...

New Additions, Murder, she Wrote and More

I read last week that Jessica Fletcher in Angela Lansbury's Murder she Wrote was inspired by Frances Glessner Lee's miniature boxes from The Nutshell Series of Unexplained Death.  You may know the film Of Dolls and Murder; I wrote about Lee on about.com.    Here is the article, "The Rise of the Creepy Doll House."


Today, a far less creepy event took place.  My friend and fellow book group member (AAUW), Marie T., gifted me a fine collection of dolls and toys that were hers, her others, and her family's.  Our museum is extremely grateful for these edition, especially since they came from a good friend.  Included were many G.I.Joe dolls, accessories, foot locker, Abominable Snowman and his box, Jeep, Mego Star Trek Enterprise with Spock, McCoy and Kirk., Tonka Trucks, Lincoln Logs, Marx Best of the West figures and horse, green army men with their original box, Original Finance game [precedes monopoly] and other vintage board games, a box of vintage paper dolls including Katy Keene, a wax over doll with glass eyes, original dress and wig, and extra clothes, several wonderful antique baby garments with scalloped edges and lacy detail, a leather doll body with compo baby head attached; very old and interesting albeit hybrid, cowboys and Indians plastic figures, marbles, a glass lamp filled with marbles, child's tables and chairs, doll crib with bedding, little wooden ironing board, mini sad irons, and much more.


It has been a hard few days with the anniversary of my Dad's death, and my beloved Uncle Jim hospitalized out of state, but he is getting better and we are surviving the week.  Today, Marie's gift was a blessing, all the more important because it was given in kindness and friendship.


Thank you.

Wax Over Doll in her Black Wool Dres

Compo Head on Leather Body seating in her Crib with Elaborate Dress

Vintage Lincoln Logs

Some of the Green Army Men

The Ghost Army, Androids on the Original StarTrek; The Doll Motif is Everywhere

By morning, we shall inherit the earth,

Our foot's in the door.

Sylvia Plath, "Mushrooms."

Dolls, and allusions to dolls, described as The Doll Motif by Lea Baten, are everywhere. Tonight, I caught the end of an original Star Trek episode that dealt with androids.  Later, in The Next Generation Series, Data, an android, is one of the main characters.

The Ghost Army, Public domain via thirteen.org

Then, my husband turned on The Ghost Army on PBS; that was the camouflage unit that created real life "fake" battle and decoys to foil and confuse the enemy.  Among the artists, sculptors, designers and architects that made up this unit was Bill Blass.  Robert Tonner, who makes his own dolls and also owns Effanbee, once worked for Bill Blass.

Public Domain

One of the goals of the doll museum I am planning is to make people "doll aware."  Dolls are a teaching tool that enrich people's lives, and they are accessible to everyone. 

We are starting a Kickstarter campaign for a new display case; look for it soon.  There will be goody bags for donors and other prizes, too. Spread the word. 😸😇😇😇✋❤👱👰😻






Dolls at Terror at Skellington Manor

Life-sized Doll Halloween Decoration

Dark Paradise and Toy Collecting

I recently picked up another Tami Hoag thriller; love her books when I want to immerse myself in escapist horror and mystery!  She is a friend of my friend, Kim Ostrum Bush, also a romance writer.  Kim was my mom’s student, and a doll collector.  I ran into her one time at the old Masonic Temple Women’s Club Antique Show where Ralph’s Antique Dolls used to set up.  Now, the MT is Terror at Skellington Manor, my favorite haunt, with great animatronics and an extensive doll collection.

 

The novel I’m reading is Dark Paradise, and it takes place in New Eden, Montana.  There is an attorney who is also a collector of many things, including toys.  His name is Miller Daggrepont.  Here are his thoughts on collecting:

 

This is where I keep my collections . .. I collect everything  Signs, toys, farm equipment you name it.  Never know when the next big rage will hit.  I made a killing on Indian artifacts when all the Hollywood types started moving in.  They think they’re going native when they hang an old horse blanket on the wall.  Damned fools, I say—not because of the collecting.  Nothing wrong with collecting.  They’re just damned fools in general!(95)

 

 

Here are some more links if you enjoy large toy collections.  Don’t forget the Strong National Museum of Play. http://www.museumofplay.org/

 

Jerry Greene world’ largest toy collection. https://rockandrolljunkie.com/2015/02/26/4109/

 

 

World’s largest toy museum Branson. https://www.bransonshows.com/activity/WorldsLargestToyMuseum.cfm

 

Toy soldiers: https://www.metro.news/worlds-largest-toy-soldier-collection-makes-a-killing/1038350/

 

 

 

National Doll Hall of Fame

National Doll Hall of Fame

How wonderful would it be if doll collectors could have their own hall of fame!  Sure, dolls are inducted into the national toy hall of fame, but we need something just for dolls.   After all, dolls are everywhere; I see them on old Tonight Shows with Johnny Carson, on Will and Grace, The Nanny, Roseanne, Blackish, The Goldbergs, in the news in literature, the list is virtually endless.  In the broadest definition of “dolls”, any representation of the human figure, or any figural animal design, can be a doll of sorts.  According to this definition, every one could be a doll collector or miniaturist and not realize it.  People who like Hummels, Lladro, Precious Moments, Kewpies, Snow Babies, Art Deco Statues, Remington bronzes, paper dolls and paper sculpture, bric-a-brac, tiny charms of people, railroad figures, scarecrows, stuffed animals, taxidermy, puppets, anatomical figures, mascot collectors, bobbleheads, plush, automata, robots, etc, are, well, doll collectors.

Gigantic statues and flickering images on the silver screen, TV, and computer monitor are doll cousins, albeit distant ones.  Don’t believe me; read all about it.  Start with Edison’s Eve and other books by Gaby Wood.  Then, look up early doll authors Janet Pagter Johl, Mary Hillier, Leslie Gordon and Gwen White.

 

 

Here are some dolls and categories for our doll hall of fame.  I’d like to read yours in comments to those post.  Or, feel free to email me.  I also posted in my page Doll Universe. https://www.facebook.com/dolluniverse2/?eid=ARBguNKLpNy2WKWHvKA5pTemLnCPYywXHSpo3svY-j98Y3Etvclc2YgnAWCF64pyOlcxkglRwHLcR4VK .

 

 

You may reply and comment there. 

 

 

Here are the dolls and categories:

 

 

1. Neanderthal Venus figures excavated in Israel, prehistoric Venuses including the Venus of Willendorf; these are what is left of the first dolls.  They date to the dawn of time. If dolls tell the story of humanity, then their stories need to be told.  Also, see the Lion Man figures and the story of the Nampa figurine.  To read more see Dolls and Puppets by Max von Boehn.
2. Gingerbread figures and molds from The Middle Ages. 
3. Nativity figures and early crèche dolls and santos.
4. Wax works and anatomical venuses, including those by Mme Tussaud. Dolls by Pierotti, Vargas, Montanari Lucy Peck and Marsh, as well as other wax doll makers.
5. Barbie; hands down the most popular doll I the world.
6. Cabbage Patch Kids and friends with nods to Beanie Babies and Furby.  These are the doll that spawned madness in the toy aisles.
7. Jumeau
8. Bru
9. The French Fashion Doll
10. German Bisques with special nods to Armand Marseilles and Simon & Halbig
11. The German toy trade, dating to The Middle Ages and earlier.
12. Ancient Greek and Roman Dolls.
13. Ushabti, idols, paddle dolls, mannikins and soldiers from Ancient Egypt
14. Madame Alexander
15. The Shirley Temple Doll
16. Raggedy Ann and Andy
17. Ginny and friends
18. Patty Playpal and Family
19. Terri Lee
20. The fashion doll in general
21. Kiddles
22. Robbie the Robot
23. Transformers
24. Mego Action Figures
25. Lenci
26. Kathe Kruse
27. K*R and German Characters
28. Metal heads and metal dolls
29. Lambchop
30. Howdy Doody and friends
31. Charlie McCarthy and the ventriloquist dummy.
32. Wayland and Madame
33. The Muppets, especially Miss Piggy
34. Gumby and Pokey
35. Davey and Goliath
36. NIADA artists
37. Paper Dolls History of Little Fanny and Little Henry
38. Pantins
39. Door of Hope dolls
40. Bernard Ravca dolls
41. Bunraku puppets
42. Hina Matsuri Doll Day and other Japanese dolls
43. Voodoo Dolls
44. The Frozen Charlotte and Penny Doll
45. Darrow
46. Joel Ellis and friends
47. Schoenhut
48. Automatons of all types
49. Puppets of all types
50. Jenny Wren of Our Mutual Friend
51. Letitia Penn
52. The Bartholomew Baby
53. Tomb figures
54. Statues, including the largest statue in the world, which is of Buddha
55. Dressed fleas.
56. Kokeshi painted on rice
57. Figures carved from a human hair including those in Mr. Wechsler’s Cabinet of Wonders.
58. Favorite novels about dolls.
59. Favorite novels that mention dolls.
60. Favorite music about dolls.
61. Favorite puppet play.
62. Favorite poems about dolls.
63. Best nonfiction books on dolls.
64. Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons cf. Tony Sarg and Bil Baird.
65. Kachinas
66. Native American dolls
67. Ashanti Dolls Ghana, and African dolls
68. Iron dolls of Benin
69. Cornhusk and folk dolls
70. Leo Moss
71. Black Doll history
72. Best games about dolls.
73. Best virtual paper dolls online
74. Best software, computer games digital media about dolls.
75. Best doll utensils, including Nutcrackers, Beehives, corkscrews, wooden spoons mugs, glasses, goblets, egg cups, etc.
76. Edible dolls, including candy and bread, carved fruit, molded chocolate and ice cream.
77. Best Christmas and Halloween figures.
78. Scarecrows
79. Best songs about dolls, e.g., The Ballad of Frozen Charlotte
80. Sex Dolls and naughty dolls. 
81. Best doll houses
82. Best models
83. Space men
84. Toy soldiers
85. G.I. Joe
86. Teddy bears
87. Plush
88. Baby alligator dolls and taxidermy
89. Spooky dolls, e.g., The Shelter for Misfit Dolls.
90. Best antique doll company.
91. Best vintage doll company.
92. Best modern doll companies
93. Reborn babies.
94. Tamagotchi.
95. Celluloid dolls
96. Chalk carnival dolls.
97. Composition
98. Cloth, including Walker and Chase
99. Grodnertal

100.                      China heads and Parian

 

Here are some categories to get you started.  Think outside the doll box; what do you come up with to fit these categories that can create a national doll hall of fame.