It’s been a while, so I thought I would give a status update
on the Museum. Our beautiful storage
building, which complies with the common scheme and plan of our building, and
our neighborhood, is up. We’ve dotted all our “I’s” and crossed our “t’s.” It has taken is eight months, far longer than
we expected. We are still closed while
we reorganize and rearrange. We will be
storing many museum items in the building.
We were blessed last year with thousands of donations, which we promised
we would sell. It is just my husband and
me at this point, doing the packing and moving, so we ask for everyone’s
understanding.
We hope to open up in late fall. The second building gives us room to conserve
and protect toys, games, dolls and related objects. This is what museums are
meant to do. Our artifacts tell the history of humanity; they also evoke
nostalgia for those who want to revisit their childhood.
Our dolls, in particular are portraits of those who made
them. They are often the only artifacts
left of some civilizations, as noted by early author Laura Starr (The Doll
Book). G. Stanley Hall, often called
the father of modern psychology, has written of the educational importance of
dolls in A Study of Dolls, Poet
Baudelaire has also written an essay on the importance of toys in “A Philosophy
of Toys.”
To better serve everyone’s needs, we will only be open by
appointment in the future. Admission
will remain the same. 5.00 Adults, 3.00 Seniors and Military, 1.00 children
under 15.
We are a not for profit charity, and survive on donations,
especially financial donations. We need
to maintain or building and grounds, and these are very expensive items.
Also, this museum is
a love letter to my family, who travelled and lived all over the
world. The collection started with dolls
brought to my grandmother, Marie Fanakos.
She and her sister were poor; they worked as seamstresses, and wore
mourning for their father, even as little girls. Neither she, nor her sister Voula, had
toys. Yet, my grandmother loved dolls.
My mother, aunt, and grandmother made dolls for me. My father brough them home from business trips
and made doll houses and model airplanes, as well as doll cases. My uncle Tom, an artist, brought me a doll
every week when he came to spend the weekend with us. Tom also repaired dolls and doll furniture. My uncle George brought them from trips, and my grandfather would buy little
dolls for me that fit in shoeboxes. My cousin Linda collected dolls and trolls,
and her brother Chuck collected toy soldiers, and many of these are part of the
museum collection.
Some of our dolls and toys belonged to rock stars’ families,
to president’s daughters, to local dignitaries.
We have model zeppelins, puppets, ships, paper airplanes that were part
of the collection of a beloved Augustana Professor, trains, cars, space toys,
books, paper dolls, and more.
The Museum collection represents prehistory to the
present. We have Barbie, American Girls,
Raggedy Ann, Teddies, Bean Bag plush, folk toys, and holiday items. We also support
other not for profit charities, and welcome church groups, 4H, the Scouts, and
others.
We look forward to reopening soon, and we thank our many supporters.
