Barbara Brown and one of her dolls. (KQWC photo)
An eastern Iowa psychiatrist is touring Iowa to show off her collection of rare, antique dolls, some of which are nearly 200 years old.
Dr. Barbara Brown, of North English, says she’s been accumulating dolls for decades and doesn’t subscribe to the theory that they’re haunted, frightening or even creepy. “Personally, I don’t think most dolls, antique dolls — or new dolls even — are creepy, but I know that some people do.”
While the live-action “Barbie” movie is due out this summer, most motion pictures that feature dolls would fall into the horror category, like the “Chucky” series, or the sci-fi thriller “M3GAN” that came out last year. Brown says dolls have gotten a bad rap.”Because I’m a psychiatrist, it is interesting to me to try to understand why some people think dolls are creepy,” she says, “and I talk a little bit about that, and just give a general overview of antique dolls.”
Brown’s collection of dolls ranges from 1830 to 1930. Some are made of papier mache, wood, bisque, and fabric. Brown will present a free program on her dolls Saturday at the Mulberry Center Church in Webster City.
(Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)