Tag Archives: History Center Olmsted County

Creepy Doll 2020 Contest Is Open

20 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by in Dolls, History, Midnight.FM, Toys & Games

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The History Center of Olmsted County (Rochester, MN) held a Creepy Doll 2019 Contest last year. The “contestants” were vintage, old, and well-worn. The contest was very popular, with a circa 1850’s handmade doll missing her right arm winning. (See https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2019/10/25/creepy-doll-contest/) All nine dolls were placed on exhibit. This year offers nine new—well, technically old—dolls for consideration. In-person voting started on October 1st, and virtual voting runs October 14-24 (links below). The winning doll will be announced on October 28th and will be crowned on Halloween. Learn more about the dolls Thursday, October 22nd when Dan Nowakowski, Curator at the History Center, joins me on The Haunted Librarian Show.

Dolls 1, 2, and 3.

Doll 1: Arsenic and Old Lace; Doll 2: Squeaks; and Doll 3: Stanley Kubrick are displayed above.

Dolls 4, 5, and 6.

Doll 4: Bela Lugosi; Doll 5: Frankenstein; and Doll 6: Shirley Jackson are displayed above.

Dolls 7, 8, and 9.

Doll 7: Victorian; Doll 8: Lady MacBeth; and Doll 9: Mrs. Danvers are displayed above.

Each doll sits in themed vignettes with information regarding provenance, materials, and information regarding the doll. It is quite exciting to see these dolls on display! The center has come up with a clever way to pass down stories of former residents while exposing the collection to a wider audience.

Toy dolls remain popular. According to The Toy Association, retail sales of dolls in the U.S. in 2019 topped $3.22 billion dollars and accounted for nearly 12% of the $27 billion dollar industry. Unfortunately, most dolls don’t make their way into historical centers. That’s why this collection is important. It chronologizes the history of the county.

Although last year, I had a clear favorite, this year is a challenge. I’m leaning toward one of the porcelain beauties. I look forward to voting!

Tune in every Thursday at 9 PM EST on Midnight.FM as I chat with people who are working in the strange and unique.

For more information and to vote, visit:

Website: https://www.olmstedhistory.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlmstedHistoryCenter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olmstedhistorycenter/

And the Winner Is…All Go on Display

29 Tuesday Oct 2019

Posted by in Dolls

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Technically, the winner of the Creepy Doll Contest was the circa 1850 handmade doll missing her right arm. However, the History Center of Olmsted County (Minnesota) announced that all 9 contestants will be on display from October 29-December 1. Joining them will be 15 additional dolls from their collection. For more information, visit https://www.olmstedhistory.com/?fbclid=IwAR3C7joW_JaVfJY_YlsKD70zbwz6oS1dPdIaJqbXTit2_wxgk74_-eq_-ak or https://www.facebook.com/OlmstedHistoryCenter/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAUEc0oDD__OCdpZPi7dZDIp0IjzgSzzzvAVClq1NxB5TtGKS6fWf4RzMMQvtqm0n1ikY5ZYZaSRNoY. Seems the contest was a huge success!

Creepy Doll Contest

25 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in Dolls, Toys & Games

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The History Center of Olmsted County (Rochester, Minnesota) is holding a Facebook contest: What is the creepiest doll in their collection? Nine dolls were featured, one a day, for Facebook users to vote for. The top three dolls will be on display during the Halloween Week. Personally, I think all of them should be on display.

Each doll is unique. The dolls were donated to the museum and run the gamut in terms of material and age. Curator Dan Nowakowski posted pictures and videos of the dolls, which are still posted for viewing.

My favorite is a handmade doll circa 1850. The head was made of cloth and then painted flesh tone. Over time, the paint has chipped off making the doll appear faceless. She’s also missing her right arm. How creepy is that! (Actually, she’s very sad looking, in need of the Cleaner in Toy Story 2.)

Generally, dolls were not made to creep kids out. They have been made from all types of materials. The only criterion is that they resemble human form. In 2017, news broke that a soapstone doll’s head was found in a child’s grave in the Republic of Khakassia, in southern Siberia. This doll dates back 4,500 years to the Bronze Age, thus making it the oldest doll ever discovered. Another doll that was dated 4,000 years old was found on the Italian island Pantelleria in 2004. Before then, archeologists had discovered dolls all the way back to Ancient Egypt (2000 BC). Dolls are considered the first type of toys made.

Most people are not afraid of dolls (pediophobia). Instead, dolls make people uneasy. More females (66%) fear dolls compared to males (34%). Children and teenagers, under the age of 18 fear dolls at 45%. That number drops 1 percent to 44% for people ages 18-34. The older someone gets, the least likely he fears dolls. Which is interesting since dolls were essentially made for children.

Dolls are an easy target for horror movies. But have no fear; most are harmless.

Peruse the gallery images here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/OlmstedHistoryCenter/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156992913154263&ref=page_internal