The Museums Secret by Charles Taws Research Assistance by Doris Falls and Lois Whitfield
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The Museums Secret by Charles Taws Research assistance by Doris Falls and Lois Whitfield CLARINGION MUSEUMS AND ARCHIVES www.claringtonmuseums.com Some call it our best kept secret, but it's not supposed to be a secret. In fact, we don't hide it from anybody. It's the fact that Clarington Museums has a pretty impressive doll collection. Some of you may have known that already, but did you know we actually have the best doll collection in Canada owned by a muse- um and we have the best col- lection of Canadian antique dolls in the world! That's pretty impressive for a com- munity museum. So how and why did the Museum end up with this fabulous collection? Well, before we get into that let's talk about dolls in general for a minute. I know some of historic value alluded to above, just for their nostalgic value (from undergarments to dress you may find the topic uninter- but their market value can often but also because by collecting and shoes). One doll story esting and some may perhaps be in the hundreds and thou- these dolls it gave the museum about Gladys began when a even think it a bit frivolous sands of dollars and in some another dimension. It gave lady who was from the Hamp- for a local museum to collect cases upwards of $50,000. So, visitors, who may not be inter- ton area brought in some fam- such things. But listen to this. dolls are interesting from many ested in local history, a reason ily dolls for donation. They Every culture that has ever ex- different angles. to visit the museum. It ex- belonged to her, her sister isted in the world had dolls. When you check the muse- panded our audience and gave and her mother. Gladys grew Dolls are important cultural um's records you will see that us a profile beyond the borders up in Hampton too and when items that reflect the world of the Bowmanville Museum has of Clarington. she came to see the dolls she the maker. Dolls can be made collected dolls since it began When you think of the immediately recognized one of different materials and have in 1961, but it was during the Bowmanville Museum and its as belonging to a childhood different purposes such as 1970's/ 80's under the cura- dolls it is hard not the think of a friend of hers even though she playthings, religious objects torship of Marion Vienot that very special lady named Glad- had not seen the doll for almost and to showcase fashions of the serious doll collecting began. ys Ashton. She volunteered at 50 years! This girl, the donor's time. But, the most important The Friends of the Museum the museum for many years. sister, died from a liver ailment thing to us is that some dolls, were instrumental in provid- She was on the museum's when she was young. Gladys especially the well loved ones, ing funds for doll purchases board and was a long time still had the last letter she ever have incredible stories to tell. and ensuring appropriate se- President of its Friends group, wrote which was addressed to If you're still not interested in lections were made. This was but she is best remembered for her. The little girl wrote the dolls another argument can be very fortunate as some dolls the great skill she used to take first half but her mother fin- made that they are important were acquired then that could care of our dolls. She repaired, ished it as she was too weak. because they can be exceed- not be obtained today. I think restored and ensured all dolls Needless to say it was an extra ingly valuable. There is the the dolls became popular not were appropriately dressed A little girl's doll tells a story by Charles Taws I Continued from Page 1 This doll was the toy of a little Research assistance by girl in Hampton in the 1930's. Doris Falls and Lois Whitfield special work of love for Gladys Unfortunately she died young, to restore that doll. but many years later her sister CLARINGION MUSEUMS If you were a little girl in donated it and some other AND ARCHIVES Canada in the early 1900's the dolls to the museum. The www.claringtonmuseums.com number one doll you would Museum's doll restorer, Gladys want was the Eaton's Beauty! Ashton, had been a friend of At a time when most dolls sold from 35 to 75 cents she could cost the little girl and instantly rec- the princely sum of a dollar. But. she was first rate all the way. ognized this doll as belonging The best doll manufacturers from Germany were hired to produce to her childhood friend even these dolls and they had the best in quality and accessories. One such doll in the collection has a sad story to tell. It belonged to though she had not seen it in a little girl in Bowmanville whose childhood and life in general nearly 50 years! The doll was was not a happy one. Her Eaton's Beauty doll %vas one of the few in very good shape, but Gladys nice things she could remember from her childhood. She never did some restoration work to married and lived with her brother. Even as an adult she kept her its cloth legs, dolls on display in her bedroom. One day she came home to find her Eaton's Beauty doll missing. Her brother said he gave it away. died and then the lady died, but she left no will. One day a local She thought the doll was long gone and while she promised to lawyer came to the Museum. He was handling the lady's estate leave her other dolls to the museum she lamented she didn't have and wanted to know if the Museum was interested in her dolls. I her Eaton's Beauty anymore because she would have liked to said - have left that to the museum as well. As time went on, the brother yesmuseum. "No problem", he said "the lady had no heirs so I'll send "my secretary around with the dolls." When they arrived among the This unusual doll was made dolls was a beautiful Eaton's Beauty doll in almost mint condition andan in the original box. She still had her original clothes but she by the Earle Pullan Compa- alsod had some homemade clothes with her. - ny of Toronto in 1963. The Wherethist doll" I exclaimed! did The secretaryyou said, - Canadian doll industry was getIt'sopick out funny that doll. All theseyou others were in her room, but that one centred in Toronto and by was on a rickety old shelf in the basement. When I picked it up the shouldl This bear was purchased at A. Nicholls store in Bowman- this time dolls were made in shelf actually fell on the floor." So, in the end the lady got her wish ville. It is likely a Canadian made bear by the Dominion plastic and vinyl. Pearl was andd her precious dolls now reside at the museum. Toy Company of Toronto. Behind it can be seen the English not popular when first in- h We recently acquired a small German doll that belonged to a troduced so few were made. ilittle girl in Germany. She grew up during World War Two. She Chad Valley bear from 1925. If you look closely you'll see a third bear in the background. It's a 1916 ideal Toy bear This makes her scarce today mused to sleep with an open suitcase on the floor by her bed. On one side of the suitcase she kept her clothes on the other, her doll. made in the United States. and she is highly sought af- t Should the air raid sirens sound she could jump out of bed. grab ter by doll collectors. This herh suitcase, close it and head to the shelter with her doll for safety. to a grey over the years. The little girl who got this bear already was one of Gladys Ashton's a We have other toys too. not just dolls. The collection includes had a "Teddy favourite dolls. tpuzzles, games and even a 1980's Nintendo set. We even have a -An bear adult suggested "Timothy" because the big discussion around this time was the opening of Timothy Eaton United Church in s few teddy bears. I think teddy so bears are hard to find because Toronto. The little girl thought that was a dreadful name to give a h most got "loved to death' by bear,was but later decided - e their little owners. Also, they Timmywasno 80 years old when she donated her bears, dolls and toys to the h are highly collectible. One tmuseum. She was downsizing and she cried when the bear was carried- would out of her house. a bear in the collection has an su doAll toys bring with them an air of nostalgia. In Europe many d interesting history. It was said re to have been bought around townsjust have popular doll and toy museums. A teddy bear that has v 1907 at Adolphus Nicholls' finehadwh its paw pads replaced by a loving mother or a doll that has had e store at 19 King Street West .atits hair cut by a little girl all tell us something of what it was like to r here in Bowmanville.