♥ Hello! My name is Kathleen and I began to seriously collect international dolls back in 1971. It began when I was a student at Illinois State University, and I moved into the university’s International House. While living in I-House, I would meet students from all over the world.
♥ Each year, I-House would hold an International Fair. During the first fair I attended, I saw the display of one of the American student’s international doll collection. Her father worked for an international company, and he would bring back dolls for her from all over the world.
As I studied the individual dolls, I found each doll had a story and history to tell. Being a history major, I was fascinated by the idea of starting my own collection. So I began to ask my new international friends to bring me back dolls from their home countries.
♥ I was also fortunate that the university had a wonderful collection of over 700 international dolls. These dolls had been left to the university by a former professor who had traveled the world in the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s. I was able to make the acquaintance of Jean Shepherd and Gina Wright, curators of the collection. They took me under their wings and helped to get me started with my collecting
♥ Thanks to them and many wonderful family and friends, my collection now numbers over 2000. I have been able to build the collection from gifts, personal travels, doll shows, doll shops, and E-bay. It has always been a dream to be able to share my doll collection with other collectors and people who love learning about world cultures. I also wanted to develop a forum where people can share information and ideas about doll collecting.
♥ Over the next few weeks, months, and years, I will hopefully achieve this goal by starting my own website. Please check back from time to time, as I will be adding to the site as time permits.
♥ Happy collecting! ♥