 |
Fact Sheet |
Timeless Treasures: The Story of Dolls in Canada
About the Exhibition
Timeless Treasures: The Story of Dolls in Canada is an exhibition of over 400 dolls on display in the Canada Hall Mezzanine of the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
In a space of more than 1,200 square metres (4,000 square feet), the exhibition shows dolls from the past to the present, reflecting Canada's cultural evolution and diversity. About half of the dolls have been carefully selected from the collections of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, while the remainder are on loan to the Museum from doll collectors and Canadian doll artists.
Dolls, Then and Now
Dolls have been part of life in Canada since time immemorial, being made and used in all regions and time periods — and they have often played roles other than that of toys. Dolls come in many forms and materials and have played an intimate and fascinating role in our culture. The exhibition Timeless Treasures: The Story of Dolls in Canada examines the evolution of dolls in Canada from prehistoric times to the present day, looking at how they reflect social attitudes and lifestyles, as well as how their production changed with new techniques and technologies.
Inuit and First Nations Dolls
More than a thousand years ago in the Arctic regions, tiny dolls were carved from ivory, wood or bone, and some have survived in the cold, dry climate. Inuit women used dolls to teach their daughters the important skills of cutting and sewing furs and leathers of different kinds. The exhibition displays several Inuit dolls, some with heads of ivory or soapstone and others of wood and leather.
Doll making has long been recognized as an art by First Nations people. Their dolls were usually made of natural materials such as wood, leather, fur and cornhusk which decompose in temperate climates. The exhibition shows the doll-making skills of First Nations artists, featuring dolls with leather, beeswax, cornhusk and wooden heads. To this day, First Nations doll artists teach their skills to younger artists so that their art will be passed on from generation to generation.
Settlers' Dolls
The exhibition also shows home-made settlers' dolls. Early settlers made dolls and toys for their children with the materials that were available to them. One of the simplest dolls was the stump doll, made from part of a tree. Cloth dolls were also very attractive; some had embroidered faces, while others had painted features. A doll that was very popular with children was the dancing doll, sometimes called Dancing Dan or Limber Jack. Its wooden body was jointed at the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and elbows and had a hole in the back into which a stick was inserted to make the doll dance. The exhibition includes two historical dolls made around 1850 by Joseph, Lord Elgin's carpenter, for the children of Lord Elgin (Governor General of British North America from 1847 to 1854). Both dolls are made of cloth, with heads of papier mâché, and dressed in handmade clothes of that period.
China Head Dolls
In the nineteenth century, dolls with china heads and cloth, leather or wood bodies were popular. As women's hairstyles changed, so did the dolls' hairstyles - providing excellent help in dating them. The appeal of these dolls lies, to a great extent, in their elegant, fashionable clothing. On display are beautiful examples of dolls with china heads, such as the Museum's Empress Eugenie-style doll, dating back to about 1870.
The exhibition also features other magnificent dolls made in the late 1800s, such as an Autoperipatetikos, or walking doll, graciously on loan from Mary Alice Thacker. This dolls walks and pushes a chair on wheels carrying a wooden doll.
Eaton's Beauties
Eaton Beauties.
Left: Joyce Marie (L2455.008).
Middle: Charlotte Rose (L2455.019).
Right: Eaton's Beauty Doll (CMC 978.136.1).
On display in the exhibition are antique dolls imported from Europe. By 1892, the Eaton's catalogue featured a variety of bisque (unglazed porcelain) dolls, with or without clothing, as well as the less expensive china-head dolls, making them widely available. The 1900 catalogue included the first Eaton's Beauty doll. This style of doll is on display in the exhibition. It has a bisque shoulderhead and a leather body and was made in Germany by the Armand Marseille Company. A number of Eaton's Beauty dolls made from 1900 to 1994 are featured in the exhibition.
The Canadian Doll Industry
In 1911 the Canadian doll industry was born when the Dominion Toy Manufacturing Company was established in Toronto and began making dolls and teddy bears. Several companies were founded in Toronto in 1917 in response to the shortage of dolls caused by the war in Europe. Among them were Commercial Toy, the Bisco Doll Company and the Florentine Statuary Company.
The Reliable Toy Company, established in 1920, was by far the most successful, producing dolls until the 1990s and exporting them around the world. The Dee an Cee Company was formed in 1938, and the Earle Pullan Company in 1945. Many dolls produced by these companies are featured in the exhibition. Many of them had composition heads (made of a mixture of sawdust, cornstarch and glue) and cloth bodies.
The 1940s saw the introduction of dolls honouring Canadians, such as dolls representing the Armed Forces and nurse dolls during the Second World War. One of the most famous dolls on display is the first Barbara Ann Scott doll, made by the Reliable Toy Company in 1948, dressed in her original figure-skating dress. This doll was made in honour of Barbara Ann Scott of Ottawa, gold medal winner for figure-skating at the 1948 Olympic Games in St. Moritz. Other dolls have been produced honouring Canadians such as Karen Magnussen, Anne Heggtveit, Marilyn Bell, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Elizabeth Manley and Sir John A. Macdonald.
Dolls are also a record of Canada's changing technology, from the beginnings of the Canadian doll industry to the invention of vinyl dolls. The exhibition shows the different methods of doll making and includes factory photographs and actual molds used in doll production.
Canadian Artists
The exhibition contains a selection of original works by Canada's best doll artists from across the country, some of whom are winning awards internationally for their work. The Canadian Museum of Civilization's exhibition will be the first display of the work of original doll artists from across Canada.
Timeless Treasures: The Story of Dolls in Canada is on display from February 3, 1999 to March 30, 2003 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec.
