I can tell you more about storing dolls and toys than you ever
wanted to know! (I did my masters work on the subject of doll and
toy preservation.)
First, in almost all cases you do not want to store dolls standing
up, especially is they have bodies that are filled with sawdust or
a similar filler. This would cause the filling to settle, causing
distortion of the body. Also, a doll must be supported when it
stands, and this usually means a stand that grips the body,
causing further distortion. Where earthquakes are a factor, this
is also a no no as dolls are almost always top heavy.
Second, dolls that have inset eyes, whether stationary or eyes
that move, must be stored face down and not face up. Most glass
eyes are held in place with small dabs of plaster. Plaster is
hygroscopic, so it expands and contracts. It can, and often does,
let go and the eyes fall inside the head. When a doll is stored
face down, you have gravity working in your favor. This is
espacially true with dolls that have eyes that open and close. An
exception is with dolls having wax heads. I am always
uncomfortable putting any preassure on a wax nose! So I take the
chance and store these dolls face up.
Third, I try to store dolls in flat boxes, arranged by size. The
best storage would be one doll per box, but this is rather
unrealistic in most museums. I line the box with a sheet of
ethafoam, and sometimes I also make dividers, especially if the
doll has porcelain arms and legs that will likely knock against
another doll. Taking dolls in and out of boxes can be tricky if
the doll is loosely strung or has a cloth body with heavy
porcelain limbs. A limb can easily slip away and bang agains
another doll.
Dolls that have porcelain feet (usually cloth bodied dolls)
should have their legs secured in such a way that the legs can not
knock togther and break. I have constructed small ethafoam tubes
that act as a spacer. I tie this between the legs just above the
knee, using cloth tape. This keeps the legs secured at a safe
distance apart. Some collectors use an old thread spool as a
spacer. This works well, just make sure that it is not a wood
spool.
For large collections, you may have to adopt a system of wraping
each doll in a tube of ethafoam, secured with cloth tape, and
stored "stacked" in boxes. I do not like this method but have had
to use it. In such cases, make sure that heavy dolls are at the
bottom of the box, and light ones at the top. Also, make sure the
tube is marked to determine a face down position.
Finally, I try to store dolls with their clothes on. Removing
clothes can sometimes damage them. I often slip small pieces of
acid-free tissue between the body and the fabric to further
protect the clothing from acid transfer. Also, I use tissue to
fill out and pad areas of large skirts and so forth to help
prevent creasing (which is not all together avoidable.)
I hope this is helpful. Please contact me if you have any
questions.
John Handley
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San Francisco
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