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The Other Side of Old Dolls
Written by Kathy Klehr
For a lot of people, old dolls are creepy. Over the years, the media has painted dolls as psycho killers (Chucky, anyone?), and with the distorted bodies and missing parts that are portrayed in movies or shows, it’s no wonder that viewers get a phobia!
I think, instead, that dolls should be viewed as something that were once loved and treasured. For some, they could be the physical embodiment of sentimentality, and for others, they are. Take this doll, for example. This is a Charlie Chaplin doll from the early 1900’s (probably from around 1915), and was played with by Julius Coller II from Shakopee as a child. Does this look like a creepy doll to you? A doll’s label all depends on how well it has survived the years since its owner last played with it. This doll is in relatively good shape concerning its age. It’s just a little rough around the edges from use and the ever moving feet of time.
Take a look at the next photo, which is a less abused, nearly mint, similarly dressed version of the Charlie Chaplin doll above.
As you can see, Julius’s doll had gained much wear and tear from the love that the little boy had thrust upon him. Shown below is an image of the little boy that loved this doll so.
Dolls aren’t so creepy after all when you remember the love and joy they brought children!
When you’re walking through an antique store or museum and see sad looking, or yes, creepy looking dolls, try and remember that like the man behind the Charlie Chaplin character, every doll has something else behind its worn appearance – the face of a once treasured toy.
