The Doll Collections
The Sesquicentennial Doll Collection
The Women’s Club of Temple University, an organization founded in 1909 to promote and support the new college, was assigned a space in the Old Market House on High Street in which to exhibit a “Historical Pageant of Dolls.”
The exhibit originated with a large collection of dolls from around the world all dressed in native costume. It was decided to include a doll from each state in the Union, so the president of each state’s Federation of Women’s Clubs was asked to send a representative doll to the High Street exhibit. Almost all of the states were represented, including the District of Columbia.
Many of the dolls depict some outstanding historical person in that state’s history. While some of the dolls were returned after the exhibit, most of them remained with the Women’s Club of Temple University. The dolls were given to the Historic Strawberry Mansion when the Women’s Club of Temple University disbanded in 1950.
The Millennium Doll Collection
In the year 2000, following in the tradition of the Sesquicentennial Doll Exhibit, the Committee of 1926 made the decision to celebrate the Millennium by making additions to their collection of dolls from the various states.
As some of the states were not represented at the Sesquicentennial exhibit, the Committee of 1926 went to work to complete the collection. A committee was formed, headed by Mrs. Sally Linvill and Mrs. Emilie Bregy, who wrote letters to representatives in all the states. Letters were sent to the chamber of commerce and numerous other governmental agencies.
Soon wonderful and interesting dolls began to arrive. The room next to the Sesquicentennial Doll Exhibit was refurbished and cases and proper lighting were installed in order to best display the new dolls.
The Millenium Doll Room was dedicated to Sally P. Linvill in recognition of her extraordinary commitment and tireless effort in the development of the “State Doll Collection.”