Ohio Life

All Dolled Up

Ohio museums display historic and popular dolls, from antique bisque figures to Kewpie, Barbie and American Girls.

December 2011 Issue
BY Jill Sell | ART BY


Some faces are sweet, some are sour. Others are hauntingly beautiful or incredibly lifelike. Glass eyes open and close while button or painted eyes stare straight ahead from wooden, bisque or plastic heads. Arms move in gentle rotations or flop alongside cloth bodies.

Many dolls are rocked to sleep by little girls. But it’s not just children who like dolls. Dolls have been part of every culture in the world and speak silent volumes about the ways we view our bodies, families, history and fashion. Doll collecting is the second biggest collectible hobby in the United States. Many adults (it counts even if you just kept Barbie from your childhood) are passionate collectors.

Ohio has several significant doll collections that can be viewed by the public. An exhibit might even have the doll you wished you would have never given away.  To read more, click here to subscribe >>

Related Articles

Artist Susan Else with one of her creations from “Without a Net” (photo courtesy of Susan Else)

View a Whimsical Cloth Circus at Canton Museum of Art’s ‘Without a Net’

California-based artist Susan Else’s vibrant and fun creations are the focus of this exhibition, which runs from Nov. 21 through March 3.  READ MORE >>
1890s Riding Ensemble and 1950s Après Ski Ensemble with Pucci Sky Pants and Baruffaldi Snow Glasses (riding ensemble photo by Brian Sanderson, ski ensemble photo by Brian Davis, © FIDM Museum courtesy American Federation of Arts)

See ‘Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960’ in Cincinnati

This Taft Museum of Art exhibition examines how women’s active attire evolved over the decades.  READ MORE >>
Jack Hopewell and the company of the North American tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” (photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade)

Ohio Fall Arts Preview 2023

From stage performances to museum exhibitions to outdoor festivals, these events will give you a flavor for what you can see, hear and experience throughout autumn in our state.  READ MORE >>

See More Articles on:

Museums