“Dorothy Anne Hanley was born Dorothy Challans in 1929 in Lincolnshire, England. Dorothy met and in 1955 married Joe Hanley, who came from West Cork, when Joe was working as a trainee surgeon at Lincoln hospital. A few years after their marriage, and the the birth of their first two children, they moved to Ireland, where after a short time Joe was appointed as County Surgeon in Donegal, based at the then newly built Letterkenny General Hospital. Dorothy spent the rest of her life living in Donegal, where she continued to add to her childhood and adulthood doll and toy collection.
Dorothy’s eldest children Michael and John remember her fondness for going to auctions disposing of the contents of minor country houses, which were common during the 1960s and 70s in Donegal and neighbouring counties, and she always focused on the contents of the nurseries. A particular coup was buying the entire collection of dolls and toys from a large 19th century country house at Sion Mills, a village in Tyrone just outside Strabane. This sale yielded about a dozen Victorian dolls, some dolls houses, teddy bears and a train set.
Dorothy travelled to Dublin frequently, and spent short holidays in England every year visiting family. Dorthy gradually built up contacts in the Antique Trade both in Ireland and England who kept a look out for dolls and toys she might be interested in, and in this manner many of the older items from well known major toymakers were purchased for the collection.
Dorothy also scoured charity shops, bric-a-brac dealers on her travels and even Car Boot Sales in Letterkenny and acquired very many of the more unusual relatively modern dolls and toys in this way.
Overall this is a collection of many sub collections, the dolls always being Dorothy’s principal interest.
Within the collection of dolls are some very important examples of very old dolls, some going back to the beginning of the 19th century and perhaps earlier, with a good representation from mainland Europe. They include numerous examples of dolls in porcelain and composition, some are mixed materials, most have their original clothing and most have real hair. Many are stamped with the names of their European and English manufacturers – some from very well known manufactories. There is a small collection of dolls made in wax, with original clothing – some quite eerie. There is a charming collection of 19th century Chinese dolls in silk with silk clothing and real hair. There are numerous other examples of dolls from the Orient – some antique, some more recent – and as with many 19th century European porcelain dolls, not all were necessarily intended to be played with.
The most interesting number of individual dolls are probably from the 1880’s to the 1960’s, in a range of materials, principally porcelain, composition and for the later dolls in a variety of plastic, from early Bakelite to modern plastics and cellulose. Within this date range is a collection of Black Dolls, some are representations of babies, some toddlers, and other dolls of a later date.
Most of the antique and the older dolls are in very good condition overall, excepting normal wear and tear for their age.
There are some in a very fragile condition, particularly some Fashion Dolls from the mid 19th century. There are also some dolls from the 1920’s that require some conservation attention.
There is a small collection of porcelain dolls heads, some Victorian (clearly intended for the market in India as they have Bindies on their foreheads) others European, also porcelain legs, arms, glass eyes and other things to make or repair late 19th century dolls.
The main collection of dolls are representations from the whole of the 20th century, and there are examples from the huge range of manufactured toys of the period, including pre war German dolls from the 1930’s, French porcelain examples, and later 20th century examples in plastic. These are generally in good condition.
There is a vast collection of Barbie and Ken dolls and other dolls to that scale, with endless accessories, like carriages, cars, horses, all sorts of tools to scale such as tripods, photographic equipment, weapons (yes, there are soldiers and security men with lots of equipment!) and every other thing a mini hero or fashionista doll may require. There is also a huge collection of clothes, most in their unopened packages, including hats, shoes, bags etc. Some of the Barbie dolls are collectors pieces featuring portraits of the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Liz Taylor etc. Also many others carry portraits and wear the costumes from well known puppet shows such as The Thunderbirds ( just to say, there is a Lady Penelope with her fantastic pink car!) And also other examples from children’s films and programmes.
Some of the Barbie dolls were evidently bought as naked second hand dolls which have had home made clothes sewn and knitted for them. These are of particular interest as each must be totally unique and represent a response from people with few resources trying to provide toys for their children. There are many dolls of the Barbie type in scale and theme but from other manufactories. Some of these are interesting as there are representations from numerous global racial types, particularly those dolls made towards the end of the 20th century as toy makers began to grapple with ethnic diversity in dolls and toys.
Over the years Dorothy put together a very large collection of travel dolls with a global representation, principally from European countries with perhaps the single largest representation being from Ireland. Most are from the 1950’s – 1970’s. These are interesting in so far as many of the dolls look as if they have been made in only one or two factories, perhaps in the far East, and have obviously been dressed locally and sold as local souvenirs. Most date from the 1950’s to 1980’s. There are other dolls in traditional or ethnic costumes with representations from all over the world, these all tend to be of varying scales, from really quite tiny to close to over a foot in height. Some were very locally made in a wide variety of materials that would have been found at hand, particularly those costume dolls from Africa and Asia.
There is a small collection of sailor dolls, obviously sold on board ship as mementos with the ships name on the sailors hats. These are mostly from the 1930’s. There is a collection of the famous Kewpie dolls. These range from the 1930’s to the 1960’s, the older ones in porcelain the more recent ones in plastic. There are many dolls which are singular representations of their type from the earlier part of the 20th century. There are representations of American dolls, all post war and from the latter part of the 20th century in so far as I can tell. Certainly the largest number of the dolls in the collection are examples from post 1950’s and up to the very present. There are some good Irish representations, principally in the small collection of Crolly dolls, some still in their original boxes. Most of these are from the 1970’s.
There is a large collection of contemporary porcelain dolls in historical outfits ranging in scale from tiny to substantial. The smaller ones were probably intended as figures for furnishing doll houses. Also a collection of dancing Spanish dolls with the usual Mantilla and lace, some with male escorts in Spanish traditional outfits, mostly 1960’s. There is a collection of Japanese dolls in traditional Geisha clothing and some small wonderful seated Japanese figures – early 20th century. As with the Spanish dolls these were never toys. There are many other dolls of this nature which like many of the dolls in traditional costumes were never intended to be played with, but only to be looked at.
From the outset when McDonalds hamburger chain began giving away plastic children’s toys with their Happy Meals, Dorothy collected examples. I doubt if every giveaway toy is represented in the collection, but I’m sure it’s as close as anyone might have got. Many of these figures are well know from popular culture – they include the usual suspects like Bart Simpson, Goofy, Mickey Mouse etc.
Some of the dolls in the collection were bought by Dorothy’s children and grandchildren over the years, as Christmas and birthday presents for her. Some of the more exotic dolls were brought from abroad by friends and family from their travels. Dorothy also traveled extensively herself, and picked up doll and toy examples everywhere she went. Over the years dolls were donated to the collection by many people including the singer songwriter Sinead O’Connor who donated three dolls, one of which had been her mothers. There is some documentation relating to some of these gifts.
There is a collection of puppets. Some are string puppets, others hand and finger types. There are a few string puppets in the style of knights that are made of tin, from the earlier part of the 20th century, and may have been made for a performance of Don Quixote. There are a number of string puppets from Rajasthan, Russia and Thailand.
There is a collection of Lead and Tin cast and painted or enamelled soldiers and horsemen, including the above mentioned Napoleonic set. This set was cast at the end of the 20th century and is in perfect condition, some pieces are still in their original boxes. Not all the Lead soldiers are complete sets, and some are lone pieces, but there are numerous examples and sets from the early 19th century to the present day. Most are in the usual sizes that these casts have always been made, standing between four and six centimetres high, though there are some sets that are really quite tiny. Many may date from the early 20th century. Not all are in the best condition. Some look like they were heavily played with and were probably bombarded with missiles in mock battles.
In the collection there are many figure toys, some in hard plastic, some in cloth but most in a mixture of materials and in different sizes. Many of these are franchised characters from popular children’s films like Toy Story, Shrek, Harry Potter etc. Also characters from children’s cartoons such as The Tele Tubbies, The Wombles, Wallace and Grommit and other cartoon characters. Some of these are soft toys.
There is a substantial collection of train sets. Some of these are early Hornby electric sets in their original boxes. There are other electrical boxed sets from different manufacturers, notably some German sets. Most of these would be 1950’s – 1960’s. The graphics on the boxes themselves are also fascinating as many of the covers show children playing with the contents. There are also some mechanical wind up sets from different decades. There are also quite a number of parts from other sets. Some of these are Edwardian and are larger than the later standard train set scale and gauge. The boxed sets are in excellent condition. Some of the sets were clearly designed for younger children and are either mechanical or simply hand pushed. There is a very substantial train set (though I am certain a composite of many sets) made in wood, including the tracks, trains and carriages. This is for kindergarten age groups.
There is a variety of other material relating to the train sets collection, including buildings to scale, over-rail bridges, tunnels, signalling posts and any other accessory necessary to create miniature train stations, including miniature trees and shrubs. Some of this material is in its original packaging and there is a wide variety of periods represented.
There are quite a few Teddy Bears, with examples covering the whole of the 20th century. The earlier ones are the classic brown to blond teddies with sewn glass eyes, moving arms and legs and they tend to be quite firmly filled. Most are in good condition with expected wear. There are a number of reproductions of these older Teddy Bears that were made later in the 20th century by numerous manufacturers during that time as we approached the millennium, when there was a fashionable craze for collecting Teddy Bears and especially for reproductions of the earlier type. Most were intended to be toys, though some manufacturers marketed some of them as collectors pieces. These are entirely unused though not in original boxes. There is also a wide range of other teddies which are all variations on the theme of Teddy Bears – many entirely unlike their original predecessors in shape, materials, texture or colour. These are also entirely new and have never been played with. There may perhaps be about a dozen filled black plastic bags of various teddies and soft toys, though the older pieces have been packed separately.
There is a very charming collection of enamelled tin toys, most with key-winding mechanisms. Many of these were manufactured in post war Japan and the USA, some are in those peculiar slightly pastel colours popular in the 1950’s. There is a sizeable variety of wind up automobiles and other automatons in many sizes, including cartoon type animals playing drums, riding bicycles or engaged in various antics, barmen who, when wound up, pour drinks, and a host of other characters who perform all sorts of small mechanical tricks. Most of these are in their original 1950’s and 1960’s boxes, which have rather sweet graphics, and most are in mint condition. There are however some that were definitely used, with spots of rust on the enamels and some chipping and dents. I feel that they play an important part in giving a more complete picture of the range of such toys from that period.
There is a subsection within the Tin and enamelled toy collection which are slightly more complex and ambitious in their original conception, having more mixed materials like plastics, cloth and especially felt. The earlier ones are wind up, but some were designed to function with batteries, some having multiple movements. They are sometimes featured in those moments in movies when something awful is about to happen, the most famous example repeatedly used in numerous films, is of course the grinning monkey in a red felt coat with the clanking cymbals. I am certain there is more than one in this collection but I think in different sizes. I know that Dorothy bought the entire collection of felted tin and enamelled toys from one person. When they first arrived here to Number 11, they were completely encased in sticky cooking grease, which probably contributed to their good preservation. They must have been displayed on a shelf near a cooker over a long time. The grease had permeated right through to the wind up mechanisms. Over a period of time I have managed to disassemble each of the pieces, thoroughly clean them – especially the cloth and felted sections, oil the mechanisms and re assemble them. Most of them are now in good working order, though some may require further attention. At least this material is now stabilised.
There is a large collection of dye cast and enamelled vehicles. Many are in the scale of the original Matchbox Mini Cars, or in a similar scale, but also included are a host of representations from other manufacturers. Not all are to this scale, some are at a larger scale. There are cars and limousines, buses, trucks, tractors and other vehicles. Representing in miniature most of what was on the roads and on our farms from the mid 20th century and later. Many of the older ones are in original boxes, thought there are quite a few that have had a life as toys which have been played with and these show the usual expected wear. The majority of this collection is in excellent condition.
There is a collection of Toy Furniture and Doll House furniture, some are old, principally from the 1930’s -1950’s. All of the toy furniture are in a larger scale than the standard doll house size. There is a very broad range of materials and styles represented, including chairs and furniture in timber and wicker, painted and mahogany. Also an astonishingly complete Victorian mahogany half tester bed with all its original sheets, bed covers, pillows, bed hangings etc. This piece is at the larger end of the scale in the toy furniture collection, being over 24 inches long. This 19th century object does need some conservation attention. There are also doll-scaled feeding chairs, rockers, and other furniture for dolls in a variety of sizes and functions.
The majority of the Doll House furniture are quite new and most of them are in their original boxes. Many of these are in boxes of complete room sets. So, for example, for kitchens the set might include a range or cooker, kitchen table and chairs, sink and other accessories needed to furnish that room. Likewise there are numerous other boxed sets for all the rooms of doll houses. Some include figures and other smaller details for furnishing rooms. Most of the older pieces have been used and so have lost their original containers – and there are a number of these. Some might belong to the older doll houses in the collection, and may have been separated from them over time. There is also in this collection a large number of pieces in plastic from the 1970’s on. Most have been played with and not all may be compete sets. Some of the sets are in astonishingly unnatural and vivid colours as was fashionable for many things for children in that period, the later in date the more garish.
There is a collection of Doll Houses. The most important, I think, being the quite substantial Fishermans House, which I have referred to above. This is probably the most contemporary of the doll houses in the collection. This was made in Donegal by an enthusiast of who we have no record. I think Dorothy bought this in the late 1980’s. It is entirely complete in every particular detail, most notably in its interiors. There may be a few hundred items furnishing the house. Outside the house and associated with it there is a pier with boats, nets, buoys, landed fish etc. This house has an outside latrine extension (with real mini toilet paper!) that has been subjected to some damage as a consequence of recent bad storage, and will need some repairs. There are perhaps about 10 – 12 other doll houses, some of these stand about two or more feet in height. One is in an Edwardian half timbered style and may well be from that period. It retains some of its fixed furnishings, like carpets and wallpaper, but these may be from a later period of redecorating. There are a number of houses that were made in printed, pressed and embossed card on timber frames, they show signs of much loved use. These are in a sort of Arts and Crafts architectural style and are probably from the 1950’s. Some of the doll houses are more contemporary, a few in the ‘Dream Home’ style of the 1970’s, the later ones in hard plastic. There are a number of other toys related to the doll houses, including the sort of things that can change from what looks like a mini suitcase via various openings and closings into a room in a child’s fantasy, some with furniture. These are from the later quarter of the 20th century.
I mention these types of toys here because it becomes harder to categorise the toys – without specialised knowledge – the more contemporary they are. There are quite a number of toys of this kind. Many with only a tenuous relationship to doll houses. They are somewhat like early, larger versions of the later Transformers (those figure toys that change shape, of which there are many examples in various sizes in the collection). There are quite a number of examples from this shape shifting genre. The earlier types include the likes of Jack in the Box, and later, Whirling Tea Pots and a host of other toys ‘that do things’, the colour palettes and materials reflecting the various periods. The creative imagination of toymakers grew exponentially as time moved on, and many of the designs from the examples in the collection are singular and of their time. A fuller description will have to wait for a complete inventory. Most of these toys have been played with, but overall they are in good condition.
There is a collection of farm animals in a small scale, with multiple accessories like gates, field fences and numerous other accessories related to creating toy farms. There are examples across most of the 20th century, some sets with numerous individual pieces, others are smaller sets. Not all are complete. The best are in painted cast lead or tin, a few boxed and in good condition, most from the 1920’s – 1960’s. Many were clearly played with, showing chips and dents. There are many pieces of recent date which are plastic examples. There are actually several boxes of the more recent farm related material.
In this genre I might mention the innumerable dinosaurs of every kind, in coloured plastics and in a variety of sizes. Also the collection of exotic animals, such as elephants, crocodiles, lions etc made in the same slightly soft plastic of many recent toys. There are many examples of these, in a variety of materials. Best to mention them here. Also not to forget the various Noah’s Arks, of which there are a few examples.
There is a host of small figures that are hard to categorise, except that they are all people and creatures from a broad variety of cultures, spanning from the mid 19th century to the very present. Many are from the Indian Subcontinent, some are painted plaster figures representing all the Indian social castes and the gods, others carved painted wooden music bands, and other miniature figurate representations including a mouse choir.
Some are Victorian porcelain figures presenting in fanciful notions, the Orient. I shall mention here the small collection of very miniature animals carved in Hardwood and Ivory. Also there is a collection at various scales of the Coronation Coach pulled by white horses. Most of these are souvenirs from the coronation of Queen Elisabeth 2nd, some in original boxes, some have been played with.
There is a collection of prams and other related material, a few are full scale children’s prams including a rather grandly scaled Victorian perambulator. At the full scale there is also a 1970’s Silver Cross model and some other examples of prams from this period. Most of the prams are toys and range in scale from a very small Edwardian folding push chair with leather upholstery, through a range of scales in children’s push prams. Many are enamelled metal, probably from between the 1930’s and 1960’s. Some are in wicker, many have leather or plastic upholstery. Some of the push toys are push animals. Like doggys or horses on wheels. Many were intended for toddlers to sit on while being pushed.
There is also a collection of rocking horses. One is at a relatively large scale and was a Hanley family toy – and with three boys in the family, there is some wear and tear! This is in carved timber. Most are in the smaller scale you would expect from a nursery, and most of these are painted wood. There are a few in enamelled metal with the rockers incorporated into the pieces. There are a few from the 1950’s which show a sort of composite design. I’ll mention here the sit-in (for young children) Jalopy pedal cars and other types of sit-in pedal toys in painted or enamelled metal.
Among the collections are some cots. One is a full scale baby’s cot in wicker, with a wicker stand, including all its cotton and lace accessories and hangings. Dorothy used this for some of her children. There is a full scale hardwood carved floor rocker cot from the early 20th century. The decorative carvings suggest that it is of traditional rustic German origin. Most of the cots in the collection were made as toys. Some are in a scale that was intended to take largish dolls, some at a very small scale. A few still have some of their accessories like pillows and blankets. They are in a wide variety of materials including wood, wicker, metal, leather etc. A few are fairly good recent Historic Period reproductions.
There is a substantial collection of table top board games, most I think range from the mid to end of the 20th century. These include the usual that you might expect like Monopoly, of which there are a variety of examples – one with Dublin street names! Included are also examples of Cluedo, Tiddlywinks, Scrabble, Trivial pursuits, Snakes and Ladders etc. There are a variety of table top football games, some in enamelled tin, some in wood or card and plastic. All with moving parts in a variety of complexities. There are also a number of Pinball games, most in wood and metal – these are early simple examples, before the later battery operated versions with flashing lights and pinging noises. There are numbers of pop up table top toys, including The Magic Roundabout and other table top toys franchised from children’s shows from the end of the 20th century. Most have many multiples in their contents – think Monopoly. The structural integrity of some of the cardboard boxes has suffered and some of the graphics are a little worn on some of the boxes. I have entirely Clingfilm wrapped these toys (as well as many other toys) to preserve the printed graphics and especially to prevent loss of contents.
There are a host of toys that are difficult to describe other than to give some examples, like The Old Woman in the Shoe, Jack in the Boxes, moon rovers, aircraft, a working plastic crane ( this is about three foot high), strange characters from children’s cartoons or stories I don’t recognise. Most of these are in hard brightly coloured plastic, though there are also Spinning Tops and other such toys in metal, which are earlier. Also space laser guns and other accessories from Sci Fi.
There is some extraneous material like a small steel chest, covered and pasted over in Victorian coloured cutouts, with an internal label addressed to a convent in Notre Dame Du Paris. Perhaps a young girls 19th century boarding school case. There is also a small timber trunk from about the1880’s with a whole collection of Victorian doll accessories and clothes covering several outfits, including coats, hats, capes etc.
There is a collection of books that is part of Dorothy’s toy collection. Most of the early ones from the 1930’s to 1950’s are children’s annuals. Some of the early ones include nursery rhyme books, girls schools annuals, wonder books of the world, poetry and stories for young children, thriller boys stories etc. Some are hobby books for school boys and girls. There are quite a few boxes of these. There are several boxes of comics, like Mandy, June, Beano, etc that are from the 1960’s on. There are some reference books on identifying dolls and toys. Some are books on identifying ethnic dolls, like native North American dolls, some are catalogues of other collections. There is a very complete and overstuffed scrap book in a hefty scale from about 1880 that has been over-loved and needs some attention. This belonged to a young girl.
There is a collection of about forty items of christening robes, baby bonnets and cloaks and other accessories for a baby’s christening. All are in white cotton, linen or silk, many with exquisite embroidery. At a rough guess I would say most are from 1900 – 1950’s. Also a number of embroidery practice booklets where young girls have created demonstration pieces of embroidery and crochet – Edwardian in date. Also some other small children’s embroideries from this time. Bookmarks embroidered, stitched by children are especially poignant.
The museum will have a room dedicated to some of Dorothy’s collection. This will principally consist of a broad range of the very best and the most precious that Dorothy’s collection has to offer.”
John Abood, John Hanley and family
April 2022
Dorothy Hanley Collection donated to Museum of Childhood Ireland