Doll Museum

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Doll Word Search

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Doll Word Search: One thing I like to do when I have time is to create word search puzzles.  I used to make them for one of the blogs I wrote professionally, ...

A Museum's Progress

So, I’m back!  Trying to keep up, but setting up the museum takes all I’ve got these days.  It is a small, but temporary space, a chance for us to begin while we pursue a larger building for our permanent home.

My friends have stepped up in unimaginable ways, from Michele, who made the building available, to Diane, her business partner who has helped with supplies, and costumes, and doll accessories, to Dick and Nancy who have offered their help in so many ways. 

Gloria, Caroline, Clara, Jill, Marie, Kathy, and Nancy S., and everyone else who has donated dolls to us, to the Friedken family for the little trike, and to everyone at Good Will, Salvation Army, Erin at Rescued, Dennis of The Treasure Chest, and our many friends in the antique and thrift community who have helped me, and given me encouragement and advice.  I wish my Mom and Dad were here, and my doll friends now gone, Mary Hillier, Stephanie Hammonds, Mikki Brantley, and so many more wonderful writers and doll artists, my friend and pen pal, R. Lane Herron who currently writes for Doll Castle News, and so many others.

Believe in your passion, follow it, and you will be happy.  Success is measured not by monetary gain, but by true happiness.  It has taken me my entire life to get here; I started collecting when I was three, and I never met a doll, or toy, I didn’t like.  I studied, my folks helped me travel, my Dad carried home dolls from all over the world, even one given to me from executives of Mitsubishi.    My mother made them, repaired them, dressed them, and put up with old things, which she really didn’t like.  At least, not at first; she changed her mind later.  My husband, Dino, has been a huge help, my editor, my best friend, my navigator in this journey. Our friend Greg, gone too soon, believed in me, and Mark, our other friend, contributed a lot.

I’ve had antique adventures with my friends Rosie, Lori, Nancy T, Danyelle, and more.  My Aunt Rosie and Uncle Tony looked everywhere for old dolls for me, and Rosie made them in her ceramics studio for me.  My Uncle Tom brought one home each week for me, and my Uncle George cruised Berkley and Lost Gatos looking for stores that sold dolls. My grandma’s collection of international dolls inspired my collection; two of them began it.  She also dressed dolls, sometimes over night.  Doll nudity offended her.

We hope to open November 30, 2019, Small Business Saturday; for the first time in a long time, I’m looking forward to something, and the sun is shining again.  Thank you to all who read me blogs and postings, and to those who have bought and read my books.

Thinking outside the Doll House, A Memoir, will be out soon.  You can read my entire doll story there.  Thank you, and I love you all!

Native American Dolls & Dolls of Color

Hankie Dresses and Huret Shoes

More Displays

Tops our ancient dolls and fossil case. It's a memento
Of a great exhibit.

Dolls and artifacts representing
Prehistory and the ancient world.

The Lion Man replica, crafted by a
Czech professor.

Brown French bisque from the antique case.

The lion and the lamb.
Gene is part of the Christmas display.

Antique gingerbread molds. Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

G.I. Jane and action figures.

She-ra and friends.

Wine for puppets

Action figures, characters, and modern porcelains

Companion doll in antique dress

Fantastic beasts 

Hina Matsuri dolls 

It's a small world

Ceylon

Dolls of color corn dolly

Corn dolly

French case with Virtual Doll Convention Huret

Museum Progress Continues!!

Antique French Dolls and Accessories, and Dolls Influenced by French Style. Doll
second from left is Madame Alexander's Renoir, c. 1967, Doll on far right is a painted eye French Fashion.

Well, folks, I’m in the building, paid the first month’s rent, met the landlord, and arranged about half my cases. The doll museum is a definite go!

It has been an odyssey, and like Ulysses, I’ve been on a twenty year journey, actually more.  A year ago, we got the paperwork in place, and now things are happening.  I have one doll book in production, another proposal with an agent.  I’m planning to do appraisals in November, I may make it to open by Small Business Saturday.  Documenting and photographing the dolls will take time, and space is a challenge, but it is a lovely space.  I’m very happy with it, and it’s magical to m.

I can’t wait to start hanging doll related art one the wall, and for the first time, but paper dolls will be organized!  This is our maiden voyage together, and I thank everyone who has read, followed, and commented on my blogs.

More photos to follow, and God Bless!!

Our Storefront

Close up of the French Case

One of our doll houses, this one for Frozen dolls.  I included Fisher Price and Playskool People

Bottom Shelf of French Case

Top shelf of  antique and vintage case, with brown eyed
china head ont he right.  I made the suit the celluloid head gentleman next to her is wearing

Small dolls, heads, and half dolls.  Again, these are microcosms of our very large collection.
We will rotate exhibits.

Panorama of antique and vintage case.  Kestner bride on top shelf, far right.

Our window decorated for Halloween

Francesca, our mascot, in front of the empty antique and vintage case

Space before the dolls

First Day at our Museum, and Kane County

Future American Doll & Toy Museum

Our Guardian angel

Cloth Dolls

Moving In

Today, a life-long dream started to come true.  We took possession of our doll museum building, and began moving in cases.  I put post-it notes on them to remind me which dolls go where.  All my dolls won’t fit; they really are a doll universe, but a good representative grouping of each category will fit, along with a small reference library, a few doll houses and miniatures, and a nice selection of toys, antique to modern. Framed paper dolls will grace the walls, and others will “live” organized in filing cabinets.  One case will hold seasonal dolls and artifacts, and other will be a small gift shop.

I had a lot of fun last week at the Kane County show sponsored by Karla M.  I sold three copies of With Love from Tin Lizzie, a History of Metal dolls,  out of just five that I brought, and I was thrilled. There were many friends at this show, people I’ve known for years, literally we grew up together.  Many knew my late parents, often referring to my patient Dad who brought Mom and Me as “the man in the car.”  I was there to help my Friend Diane R. with her lovely booth, and I learned a lot, and am learning a lot, in the process.

These folks are my family, and I felt from them love, respect, and credibility, more than I got in over twenty years of teaching , [my awesome students notwithstanding], more than I ever felt working in the courts, or in private law firms.  I loved the law, loved the clients, but the culture was something else.  In this group of like minded doll folk, though, everything was different.  A lovely dealer named Peg donated a box of lovely 70s Barbie furniture to the Museum.  Pam G. and I spent the time conversing about all kinds of dolls.  My friend Marion Z. and her sister Suzanne were there, and so were Marianne and Jerry from Galena.  Fritzi had a wonderful display, and Laverne and George Koddy were there; I hadn’t seen them in years.  I met some of my Instagram and Facebook friends as well.   Quite simply, everyone was kind and supportive.

There was no creepy doll garbage, and no doll divas.  Thank you to all of you, my extended doll family, for your support, and kind thoughts.  Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to move forward with this project.  Thank you, dear, sweet Dianne, for finding room in your car for all our treasure, and to your friends Tammy, Debbie, and their husbands for the fun and great conversation. Here’s to next time!