Mom's collection

by Diane
(Austin, TX)

My Mom (81) recently passed away and I find myself with her doll collection. I don't know much about it, except that it meant a lot to her when she was a girl.

I think she even won some ribbon when she showed them in the 50s. I'd like to find out more, but I find I'm afraid to poke around to look for marks because they seem so fragile.

I think most of them came from a trip my mother took as a girl (1935?) to Northern Europe all the way to Russia. My mother said everywhere they stopped on their trip, she would get a doll.

Some of their costumes are pretty amazing: Little white leather coat with fur trim, wooden shoes, fancy lacy bloomers, teeny needlework and jewelry.
My grandmother put tiny tags on them noting what country she thought they came from when she packed them away in 1959.

I know there are two Lenci Peasant girls and a pair of Ronnaug Petterssen dolls because of the tags. Another tag seems to indicate Turku Finland but I can't figure it out.

I'd love to more about them, but ultimately, find a proper home for these girls. They've been unappreciated for more than 50 years and need to get cleaned up by someone that knows what they're doing and will do it with love.

I know my mother never played with them - that's what Raggedy Anne was for - and never messed with their hair, so I THINK they're just dingy from being wrapped in newspaper and boxed for so long.

I know the photos are small, so if anyone has the time or interest to help me, I'm happy to share larger individual photos.

Any information would be helpful. Thank you,