Antique Doll Collection.Part #1.
This is my entry for this week's Market Friday challenge hosted by 
I discovered a fascinating collection of dolls at the Rockhampton Heritage Village in Queensland, Australia, with many of them being categorized as antiques. After taking a good look around I couldn’t help but notice how times and fashions have changed. There was not one Kim Kardashian look alike to be seen………thankfully.
These dolls were displayed behind glass cabinets so the images are a little blurred, but hopefully the character and individuality of the dolls in this collection will be appreciated.
This little cutie looked great in black and white. I've included the colour version below this one.
Originally, ‘The Doll House’ was situated near St. Christopher’s Chapel in Nerimbera in a building that was formerly used as a recreation centre for American troops who were stationed in the Rockhampton area during WW11.
It was later used as a Scout Hall and Shell Museum in Yeppoon but then the building was transported to the Village where The Myrtle Perkins Doll Collection is situated. This amazing collection is home to approximately 1,600 dolls. This is a sizable collection by anyone's standards and requires more than your average 'Doll House' to display them in.
Myrtle Perkins loved dolls from an early age and would spend countless hours not only playing with them but designing dolls out of wooden pegs. She also made corn dolls and dressed them in scraps of fabric.
Fast forward to 1962. Myrtle was taking a walk along East Street in Rockhampton with her husband, Allan. He spotted a gorgeous Japanese National Doll adorning a shop window and was so impressed with it, he bought it as a gift for his wife.
This triggered a strong desire in Myrtle to gather dolls and as the number of dolls increased, The Myrtle Doll Collection was birthed. Her hobby gave her a lot of pleasure and as her collection grew, she decided to display them. This continued until her death in 2003 and now visitors can enjoy viewing them at The Rockhampton Heritage Village.
And with me being a keen Digital Art fan, I just had to include a digitally enhanced image, so here it is. I liked the ethereal effect that was achieved with this one and I just love her navy blue eyes and and cupid shaped lips framed by copper curls.
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.