Collector Enjoys Being Part of Her Doll Family
When Louise Nunn stands quietly beside her dolls she almost seems to become a part of her treasured collection.
But this Yukon resident is more than a doll collector; she is a genuine doll lover. She smiles at them, handles them gently and shudders at the thought of breaking one. "I love them," she said, "They're like children."
When asked if she thinks of her dolls as people, she pursed her lip, paused and said sincerely, "They are people."
Mrs. Nunn even looks like a doll herself. White hair, fair skin and thin lips create the picturesque appearance of a china doll. When dressed in her Gibson girl blouse, as she was during the recent doll show sponsored by John A. Brown, she looks as if she, too, belongs in a showcase.
When told she resembles her dolls, she smiled from ear to ear and said excitedly, "Thank you, thank you."
Mrs. Nunn began collecting dolls as a child, and she said she has been interested in them for "as long as I can remember." And after many decades of collecting, she boasts that her collection is the "best of the best." She said her oldest doll was made in 1825.
As a member of the Treasured Doll Club of Oklahoma City, Mrs. Nunn is on a continual search for unique dolls. "We vie to see who can get the oldest and most unique doll."
Mrs. Nunn admitted missing her dolls when away from them. "I worry about them too," she added.
She has even incorporated her dolls into her daily rituals. Mrs. Nunn said when she enters her sewing room in the morning, she "counts noses," and many times greets her doll family "Good morning girls here's momma."
As for modern dolls, Mrs. Nunn said she finds them distasteful. "I hate Barbie. She is an adult woman.
"Little girls should have baby dolls. I abhore this plastic.
Holding an old plastic doll is yucky. It's not a doll. . . it doesn't have any feeling and you can't pick it up and love it."
Mrs. Nunn would not reveal the value of her collection, only that it was "a lot yes, a whole lot."
However, Mrs. Nunn said the sentimental value of her collection is more meaningful than its monetary worth. She said she plans to eventually pass her collection on to her daughter. BIOG: NAME:
Archive ID: 83174