Midwest Old Threshers of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and the Hawkeye Doll Club of Iowa hold an annual one day doll event. This year’s was held June 28, 2008. The subject of this year’s was “Return to the Prairie” and “Dolls of Distinction.” I previewed my new Laura program “Laura Ingalls Wilder: What a Doll”
which talks about dolls in Laura’s life and fandom. Mary Kopsiecker brought in her collection of Laura dolls which include such rare items as an early 1970s Charlotte doll from Burr Oak and a china head doll purchased in Mansfield in 1981. Mary also shared information about the bus trip we took last year to Malone and a letter she would have written to Laura as a child.
Thelma Kirkman shared a history quilt she made including things like square showing animals the Ingalls family knew and a secret panel with Wilder information under it. She also showed some double sided cloth dolls she made to represent the Ingalls family. The ones in their red flannel night gowns were very sweet.
The afternoon featured dolls from the Bussey Collection. It was gifted to Old Threshers by Wilma Bussey who had collected the dolls and wanting to keep them together gifted them to Old Threshers which she attended every year. In the chapter “Town Party” in “On the Banks of Plum Creek” Laura describes a china doll. The afternoon featured talks on dolls made by 3 of the major china doll manufacturers. They all were in Germany which had a very active doll and toy industry until the World Wars blocked trade with other countries and starved them for markets. Makers featured were Kestner “King of Dollmakers”, Armand Marseilles, and Kammer & Reinhard.
Glenna Voyles outdid herself putting together a display of Wilder dolls from her own collection.
The highlight was the dolls made from 1975 to 2007 by Dorothy Nazarenus of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. This stalwart of the Walnut Grove gift shop is on display in a complete background and furniture display created by Glenna’s husband. (See photos) There are also many china head dolls as part of this display and some unique dolls created to look of the era. This display will be up through the Old Threshers event which concludes on Labor Day.
The doll display is part of the Heritage Museum. Its hours:
Open Daily – Memorial Day to Labor Day 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Open Weekends – Memorial Day to Labor Day 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Adults $5.00 per person
Kids 14 and under free with adult
, Visit their website here: http://www.oldthreshers.org/
