A display of creepy dolls from the MDAH Collection opens Oct. 1 at the Two Mississippi Museums. The free monthlong display features six dolls from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century and provides an eerie glimpse into children’s playthings from the past.
“These dolls were donated by people who wanted to ensure their preservation for generations,” Two Mississippi Museums Director Michael Morris said of the collection curated by Mississippi Department of Archives and History staff. “We’re excited to share them with the public.”
One of the oldest dolls in the collection, the “rag doll,” starkly contrasts the porcelain doll with its simple features and patchwork design. Rag dolls were more durable and could handle being dressed, carried, and even cuddled, compared to their wax and porcelain counterparts.
Other dolls in the collection include two “clown dolls” that once formed part of the Humpty Dumpty Circus set, a toy design made by the A. Schoenhut Company in America.
“Hopefully, this exhibition will inspire others to donate artifacts that help tell the stories in Mississippi history,” Morris said.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opened in tandem with the Museum of Mississippi History on Dec. 9, 2017, in celebration of the state's bicentennial. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum explores the period from 1945 to 1976 when Mississippi was ground zero for the Civil Rights Movement nationally. The Museum of Mississippi History explores the entire sweep of Mississippi’s territorial and state history and the inhabitants of its land.
For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.