My childhood Kirsten
I began collecting American Girl historical dolls, then Pleasant Company, when I was eight and the company first began. I was instantly drawn to Kirsten, a doll who shared my heritage as a Scandinavian immigrant in the mid-1800s. Kirsten was my childhood companion through many adventures in learning and imagination. The dolls, supported by historical fiction, craft books and kits, cookbooks, and more, brought history alive and taught me how fun education can be. Above all, I learned that everyday people: women and children, immigrants and people in poverty, shopkeepers and farmers, are important in our history. Their lives matter and are interesting, though they may be silent in history textbooks. I learned that the strength of our nation is in our diversity. I strive to continue these lessons in my own teaching and research as a social scientist, and to remember that learning at any age should be fun!
I'm also a big believer in one of Einstein's famous sayings: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." My fantasy dolls are a dream come true for me, as I have always been fascinated by mythology and loved the idea of elves and faeries residing among us. All my fantasy clothing is acquired from buttons_and_butterflies on ebay (www.freewebs.com/creativeoriginalsbykaren). Creating my fantasy characters and finding them these unique one-of-a-kind creations to wear has been one of my great joys in doll collecting.
I started with American Girl but grew to love a wide variety of dolls, so I have a few American Girls and a few Bleuette and other antique reproductions, along with my two fantasy dolls. With a fascination for antiques and limited space, the collection I began as a child developed into a miniature museum of United States domestic history.
I have always loved crafts, so I began to create replicas of antiques in miniature. After I made some for myself, I still wanted to craft more, and some folks told me I should offer them for sale so I began a little business, The Historical Doll. It's a hobby, but it allows me to craft these little miniatures even though my doll houses are full! :)
I hope you enjoy your time in my dollie land and find it useful for building your own!
My little sister made this rag doll for me when she was little. :)