Edda Doell loves to expand her knowledge about other cultures through a unique method, dolls.
Her father, Theodore Kopff, was a famous concert pianist and would buy her a new doll in every new city he visited.
“The kids in my neighbourhood loved coming to my house because I was the only one with such elaborate dolls,” said Doell, 64.
Doell grew up in Bremerhaven, Germany, a northwest seaport city and her family immigrated to Canada in October 1964 when she was 18.
The German state was still mired in disrepair from WWII when Doell moved to Winnipeg with only four dolls, leaving most behind.
One of the dolls she kept was Lilli, the German predecessor to Mattel’s Barbie.
“Lilli was a cartoon character in our German newspaper,” said Doell.
“My main passion is German dolls.”
Her love of the delicate figures blossomed as she spent much of her childhood growing up in and out of hospitals due to arthritis.
She would lie in her bed creating casts for her dolls out of toothpaste to help cope with her illness and help her through the tough time.
Over the years, her doll collection turned into a business in Winnipeg as she bought and sold thousands of figures.
Doell moved to Airdrie five years ago and was forced to leave “van fulls” of dolls and other items behind such as her antique Singer sewing machines and her beloved Mickey and Minnie Mouse figurines, which she said she “still regrets” parting with.
Her collection topped 3,000 at one point but currently sits around 400 as she continues to rebuild.
Loosely divided into categories, some of the standouts include Princess Diana, Pocahontas, a Hudson’s Bay Inuit doll, handmade tractors, a pair of elderly black people carved entirely out of wood and G.I. Joe style firefighters.
Another section Doell called “What are dolls made of?” includes an array of materials such as cloth, seashells, porcelain, celluloid and cooking dough.
“Airdrie needs something like this,” said Doell.
People can book appointments for a walking tour of Doell’s doll collection by phoning 403-945-3524.
