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Milner Library

Lois Lenski Doll Collection

Two dolls stitched together, a man and a woman.

Lois Lenski was not only a prolific author and illustrator of children’s books, but she was also an avid doll collector.

She seemed intent upon garnering an international collection meant to reflect (among other things) many of the roles young women played in society over the course of roughly 100 years, starting in the mid-nineteenth century.The materials with which the dolls were made vary from corn husks to porcelain to paper and beyond. Regardless of the material composition, all were loved. We hope you enjoy them too!

How to Access

View the Collection

Special Collections
Milner Library, Floor 6

Collection Contact

Maureen Brunsdale
Head of Special Collections and Rare Books
mbruns1@IllinoisState.edu

Collection Highlights

  • This small molded doll with painted facial features is made of bisque. She has blond hair and movable arms.

    Porcelain dolls

    From tiny nude penny dolls to lavish China dolls in elegant dresses, the iconic styles of these human figures made wholly or partially of porcelain and bisque originated in Germany in the early 19th century.

  • This is a coconut husk doll with a stump type body. Her facial features are stitched, and she wears a multicolored patchwork skirt and top, a beaded necklace, earrings, and a black bonnet.

    Costume Dolls

    Often sold as tourist goods, these colorful dolls in their traditional garb may evoke a sense of mid-century kitsch today, but they were originally designed to serve both a decorative and didactic purpose.

  • Paper doll in a floral dress

    Paper Dolls

    Cheap, versatile, and easy to make at home, paper dolls give children the opportunity to experiment with haute couture fashions and create their own fabulous outfits from readily available materials.

  • China doll with cape, circa 1860

    19th century dolls

    Many of today’s most collectible dolls have their origins in the manufacturing advances of the industrial revolution.

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