WEST JORDAN — A youngster's cherished plaything. A historical artifact. An example of fashion and style. A cultural icon. A reminder of childhood. A connection between generations. A teacher of compassion and caring.
Dolls are all that and more.
"Dolls have been a part of every aspect of human history," says Diane Peterson, who with her partner, Alana May, owns and operates the Georgell Doll Shop at Gardner Village.
The shop is the result of the fact that Peterson's mother, Lucile Georgell, began collecting dolls when she was in her 20s. She recognized early on the importance and uniqueness of dolls, says Peterson, "and she realized that her children and grandchildren would not know many of the dolls she knew, unless they were preserved. She began collecting with the idea that someday she would like to have a museum."
Now in her 80s, Georgell has amassed some 10,000 dolls. "Our dream is still to have a museum," says Peterson, but for now, we have the shop."
They have set aside one end of the shop for exhibits, which will change every month or so. "That give us a chance to physically see how some of the exhibits we imagine will go," says Peterson.
Their museum plans call for emphasis on five different areas of the doll world: play dolls of the past 150 years; great characters from books, TV and movies (everything from "Gone With the Wind" to "Star Wars"); international dolls ("so many national costumes are disappearing; dolls are a way to preserve them," says Peterson); dolls and how they reflect the fashions of their eras; and dolls as art. "Nowadays, there are lots of fine artists who make dolls that sell for thousands of dollars," she says.
Gardner Village is planning a new development, and there's a possibility a museum will be a part of that.
"But everything's on hold now because of the economy," Peterson says. "With their emphasis on historical preservation, we think we'd be a good fit, and we appreciate them giving us this chance to get things started. But we will have to wait and see."
In the meantime, she, and her three daughters, Holly Offret, Annette Barker and Kathleen Higgins, who help out in the shop, are having a great time.
It's been fun, says Offret, to "see how women light up when they come in. They are so excited. They all have stories to tell about the dolls in their own lives. Coming here is like traveling to their childhood, like reconnecting with their past. We see that joy when they come in."
What's interesting, say the two women, is that neither one of them was what you might consider a "doll person" when they were young.
"It wasn't until about 20 years ago, when we started thinking about what we were going to do with Mom's collection, that I really got into it," says Peterson.
"I started to study and research different dolls, and I found that history fascinating. With the idea of a museum, our collecting became more focused, and I came to realize what great things dolls are."
It has been interesting, she says, to learn of the connections all kinds of people have with dolls. For example, Winston Churchill collected toy soldiers. Robert Louis Stevenson had a collection of paper theaters and paper dolls, and Queen Victoria's doll collection is now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, she says.
"It's also been fun to see how the colors and textures used for dolls relate to certain years. In the '40s, for example, all the dolls were dressed in red, white and blue. And you can see how different cultures are drawn to different materials. Asian dolls use satins and silks. South American dolls have vivid yarns, and African dolls use wood and beads."
Offret remembers going to her grandmother's house "and there were dolls everywhere. They were just a part of life. I was more of a tom boy, and more into music than dolls," she says. But as she has gotten older and had daughters of her own, she has realized how much happiness dolls can bring. "We're here to make people happy. That's what everything is all about."
This month at the shop, the focus is on both Raggedy Ann dolls and paper dolls.
The Raggedy Anns are a carryover from February, but "they were so much fun, we decided to leave them up," says Peterson.
Central to the display is a 12-foot Raggedy Ann made by Georgell in 1988, using some 60 yards of fabric. "I told my mother, who is an accomplished dollmaker as well as a collector, that we needed a 'Queen of the Dolls,' and this is what she came up with," says Peterson.
The exhibit also features a reconstruction of the prototype from Johnny Gruelle's patent application in 1915. Over the years, Gruelle wrote and illustrated 25 books of Raggedy Ann and Andy stories, and some of those are in the display as well as other books featuring the characters.
"Raggedy Ann was always famous for her candy heart," says Peterson, "and my favorite story is the one where the dog dragged her through the water, and she said her candy heart melted and filled her whole body with love. I just love that idea."
They have Raggedy Anns made by the Knickerbocker Co. in 1960, and characters such as the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees, Uncle Clem and Beloved Belinda. Belinda was taken off the market because of her stereotypical black-woman appearance, "But she was a gentle, loving, intelligent character," says Peterson, and should be remembered for that.
The March display also features paper dolls. "Paper dolls are almost a lost art," she says. "Kids today don't play with them as much, but for our generation, they were a real treat." She features an exhibit of paper dolls designed in the 1920s and '30s by Queen Holden, who was one of the most famous paper doll designers.
"Mary Engelbreit is probably the most famous of the modern paper doll makers, so we have some of hers," says Peterson. And there are others.
Young girls who come into the store can also get a sheet of color-your-own paper dolls to take home.
At the shop, they sell paper dolls as well as a variety of dolls and accessories, including Madam Alexander dolls ("she is probably the most famous dollmaker of all," says Peterson), Marie Osmond dolls, Kewpies, Whispering Willow Fairies, Ginger Brook Hollow Dolls, Ginny Dolls, Raggedy Anns, Fancy Nancy and more.
"One of our most popular sections is the corner with 18-inch doll clothes," she says. These clothes, which fit Barbie and Barbie-like dolls, come in such variety and are a lot of fun, she says. "There is one woman who has 64 18-inch dolls and comes in regularly to buy clothes."
It just goes to show, she says, "that you are never too old to have dolls. And it shows how generational dolls are." Women talk of dolls they got from their mothers and grandmothers; mother and grandmothers give dolls to their children and grandchildren.
And that, Peterson says, is what dolls are all about. "Dolls remind us to love and be loved."
Exhibits at the Georgell Doll Shop for 2009
April: Easter Babies, featuring big baby dolls made of composition from the 1920s and '30s, as well as big buggies and other accessories.
May: Mothers, Daughters and Dolls.
June: Beach Party Barbie, highlighting 50 years of Barbie history, including some of the original Barbie houses and furniture.
July: Great American Dolls.
August: Tourist Dolls and Wardrobes, with dolls from 1860 on with their trunks and wardrobes.
September: School Days, featuring life-size plastic dolls from the 1960s (and some old school desks from earlier eras).
October: Witches, Witches, Witches.
November and December: A Turn-of-the-Century Christmas Doll Celebration.
The Georgell Doll Shop is located at Gardner Village, 1100 W. 7800 South, West Jordan.
E-mail: carma@desnews.com