News From the Director
Happy fall, y'all! It's a beautiful time of year for our town of Spencer!
We are so ready to continue to enjoy the excitement of back-to-school season and Halloween, a break in the heat as warm breezes become cool and crisp, and the start of anticipation for the winter wonderland that is Spencer's annual Winterfest celebration!
More than ever, our doors are open to give doll collectors, locomotive modelers, mini lovers, and so many others a place to share their passion.
We have packed our fall and winter museum schedule full of events we hope will bring you joy and connection. Winter can be icy but not isolating! Join us and connect!
Our next big opportunity to come together is our annual Miniature Luncheon, returning to Salisbury NC on October 25 and paired with an optional mini workshop at the museum on October 24.
Register by clicking here!
Beth M. Nance
Founder and Executive Director
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Mini Luncheon Guest Program:
Ara Bentley - Addams Family Mini Mansion
We are delighted to share that Ara Bentley will give an exclusive virtual presentation at our 2025 Miniature Luncheon this month on her exceptional Addams Family Mini Mansion.
Ara Bentley, aka Bentley House Minis and Bentley House Kits, is a talented miniature artist in Texas with more than a decade of mini crafting experience - inspired in part by her architecture background.
A wife and mom as well as a mini content creator, Ara makes time for her passions not just for personal fulfillment but also to help cultivate a supportive, educational miniature community.
This masterpiece took more than a decade to make, and Ara's talent and determination have captivated MILLIONS of people around the world across YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Take a look:
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Register Now:
Annual Miniature Luncheon on Oct. 25
It’s fall, y’all! Time to join us for our annual luncheon for miniature-lovers! This 3rd annual gathering invites all members of the miniature community, from makers and artists to collectors and appreciators, to come together to celebrate their love of all things mini. Seated lunch, presentations, gift bags & goodies, raffle & silent auction, "mini mart" and more.
Sat, October 25
9:30 am to 3 pm
at Trinity Oaks
728 Klumac Road
Salisbury, NC 28144
(about 10 mins from the museum)
$80 for museum members or $85 for non-members.
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October 24:
Tiny Halloween Friends Miniature Workshop
The day before our miniature luncheon, join us at the museum with miniature artist Jan Sylsberry for a Halloween-themed miniature workshop at the museum.
Fri, October 24
10 am to 4 pm
at the museum.
$35 for museum members or $40 for non-members.
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Upcoming Events
Join us for our weekly Afternoon Tea sessions, monthly Super Saturday sales, monthly Rowan Doll Society club meetings, and Halloween events all month long:
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New Shopping!
Gift Shop & Super Saturday
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We've refreshed our gift shop for fall! Here are just a few of the fabulous new arrivals and returning favorites:
- Plushies, plush puppies, and Warm Pals
- Beautiful floral mini-teapots
- Affordable ways to show your museum pride: Sir Spencer paper dolls designed by Diana Vining plus coasters for just $1!
- New fall miniatures! Pumpkin spice lattes, glow-in-the-dark ghosts, fall leaves, bright pumpkins, and autumn mice
- Locomotives plus railway modeling design skill books for just $2
- Shimmer Creatures - dragons, dinos, and more
- Nesting dolls and nesting doll-themed totes, manicure sets, and more!
Please note: we do not currently have an online gift shop, but we CAN sell gift shop items to you digitally and ship them to you! If you'd like to purchase any of our gift shop items for shipping, just reply to this email or send us a message on any social media platform and we can arrange.
Here's a video tour of some of our new arrivals:
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And the Most Popular Gift Shop Item of 2025...
...our Nesting Doll Cross-Body Purse! A gorgeous way to showcase your doll collector pride or an ideal gift for a doll-loving friend or family member.
These cross-body bags are just $32.
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And that's not all! Our Super Saturday monthly sales got a big fall refresh, including new dolls, toys, handmade accessories, and more.
Check out the short video below of Beth setting up for our sale.
Hope you're joining us in November or December!
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Great news - we also have a few patterns left for 14"/Madame Alexander sized dolls from our friend Sherry O'Brien of House of O'Brien (find her on Etsy!)
You can purchase a pattern kit at our Super Saturday sales or contact us to order for shipping. These patterns create a stunning, high-end look inspired by Heidi or Fun on the Slopes.
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Recap:
2025 Doll Luncheon
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We had a FABULOUS time with you at our 2025 annual doll luncheon!
With festive decor and souvenirs to match our Slopes of Switzerland Around the World theme, guests enjoyed themed food, epic raffle and super silent auction wins, Swiss bingo fun, and two beautiful presentations from Kathy Gregg and Heidi Wheeler.
Thanks to all our 2025 doll luncheon volunteers and to volunteer photographer Jim Ryser for capturing fabulous themed photos of guests and doll clubs.
Many guests made their way over to the museum after the luncheon for our optional reception, getting a chance to see why our museum matters and how their support makes a difference!
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A fun new addition for our luncheon this year: a Dolly Mart full of beautiful items and dolls with all proceeds benefiting the museum.
We were so happy to see that the Dolly Mart was well-received, and we're grateful to the donors who entrust dolls to us knowing they will go into the hands of loving collectors while supporting our nonprofit mission.
If you missed the fun, check out this video tour of the Dolly Mart:
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Museum Moment:
Switzerland is Always a Good Idea
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It is always extra special when the reach of our events and museum goes a little bit further to brighten someone's day.
That's what happened when 2025 doll luncheon guest Militza gifted a goody bag and Swiss bingo card to her mom, who is from Switzerland.
"Colette was thrilled to receive her bag. She plans to take her Swiss bingo to show the activity director."
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Museum Moment:
Back-to-School Tea
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We always enjoy our Afternoon Tea gatherings led by Marie Clanton, but our Back to School Tea was just a little bit extra-special thanks to the efforts of our volunteers and staff & board. Said Marie:
"I was proud to be part of this Back to School Tea event! I hope our guests enjoyed themselves. Check out the golden shoes!
Kathy organized a tour, scavenger hunt, and lovely craft. Beth read a story with such enthusiasm, showing pictures and going around the room so everyone could see and hear. Francesca helped me set up for tea and serve. Gary ran the model trains. Trish, as always, was a big help, too."
| Marie is putting in time to make our Afternoon Tea series for October more beautiful than ever. Take a look: |
Museum Moment:
Donation Gratitude
| A shoutout to Patricia and Peter Valenti, who donated the train seen in this photo! | |
In Our Community:
NAME Mini Convention
| | Grateful for the opportunity to enjoy our mini-friends plus workshops and miniature art marvels at the annual National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME) convention, held Aug 14-17, 2025 in Cincinnati. | | |
Collection Spotlight
Käthe Kruse
| | In September, we celebrated the birthday of dollmaker Käthe Kruse! We are lucky to have both handcrafted and playline dolls from the maker in our museum! | | |
Here is a little history:
Like so many entrepreneurs, Käthe Kruse started out making simple dolls for her children in 1905 before she began taking orders from the public and refining her dollmaking methods for sales.
She began modeling her dolls after her children, which led to a more natural, lifelike look that reflected childhood instead of “miniature adulthood.” That amplified demand for her dolls rapidly.
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Käthe Kruse began taking orders from the US by 1911, which led to the need for a true workshop. FAO Schwarz ordered the first batch.
She continued to make the dolls by hand with multiple branch factories started by 1946 for inexpensive play dolls.
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Her household was decimated by war—she lost 2 sons, and her factory was closed.
Even as her health declined, she insisted on designing the dolls and ensuring the dolls were still being made by hand, even if she couldn’t fabricate them herself.
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120 years after Käthe came up with her first doll concept, the Käthe Kruse Manufactory still produces collector dolls by hand today.
There is a Käthe-Kruse-Puppen-Museum in Donauwörth - take a look at some of their stunning displays:
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Collection Spotlight
Izannah Walker
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September is also the birthday month for dollmaker Izannah Walker! Our Izannah Walker doll is one of the museum's most memorable fixtures.
Some history:
- Born in September 1817 in Rhode Island
- Izannah and her siblings were orphaned as children and raised by relatives in Massachusetts
- Created her own doll patterns and made dolls as a cottage industry in as early as 1840
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Patented her doll making process in 1873, becoming the first woman to patent a doll design
- In the Central Falls Rhode Island census of 1865, she was listed by profession as "a dollmaker"
- Buried next to her best friend and likely partner, Emeline
- One of the earliest patented cloth dolls known with three-dimensional handmade look as a standout feature during a time when wood, papier mache, and bisque dolls were popular
A little more context from Board Vice Chair Kathy Gregg:
"In 1996, this Izannah belonged to Lila. She and I belonged to the new London doll club and she was my cloth doll mentor. Lila loved all dolls, but especially cloth dolls and had a wonderful collection of them. She was a great teacher.
I ultimately acquired Izannah from Lila and decided it needed to live where it could be seen as a treasure to all."
And as Monica Bessette added:
"I first met this doll in 1996 in New London, where I gave a lecture to the New London Doll Club about Izannah's New London connections.
So many museums who have one or more in their collection don't have many opportunities to display them, since they don't fit in with the museum's main theme.
So glad Kathy Gregg offered this wonderful doll to NC Museum of Dolls so others have an opportunity to see Izannah's amazing creation.
She's a classic (the doll and Kathy)." (We agree!)
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“The farm that surrounds our train table layout includes cows, a cornfield, and a vegetable garden, which is still in the process of being planted. Currently, the garden has tomato plants, but more vegetables will be added in the future.
Of course, the cornfield has a mandatory scarecrow to keep the crows away. However, if you look closely, there’s a crow sitting right on the scarecrow’s outstretched arm!
Looks like the farmer may need to fire the scarecrow…"
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"I had a similar cornfield on my layout when I lived in New Bern, and that’s why I brought the idea to the museum’s layout.
The original inspiration came from a time when my wife, Mary Ann, and I were cruising in our sailboat on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay...
Due to a forecast of bad weather, we decided to anchor in a small cove for protection. The cove was partially surrounded by cornfields, which were lined with sunflowers.
We liked the small cove so much, we stayed for a couple of extra days. Now you know why our layout is lined with beautiful sunflowers.”
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The barn, the farmhouse, and much of the surrounding scenery were donated by Ted Berry of Kinston, NC, a member of the Kinston Area Railroad Modelers Association.
We’re grateful to Ed for his intensive work, donations, and expertise and to train team volunteers Gary Wood, John Wagoner, and John Carnes for assisting with building the farm and layout.
| | | New & Renewing Members | Laurie Donald | | Ann Bejcek | Mary Britton | | Carol Corken | Mary Winslow | | Donnie M. Whitesides | Pee Dee Doll Club | | Henry & Missy Brown | Susie Hines | | Kathy Gregg | Tracy Tabone | | | | Society Members ($250+) | Society Members ($250+) | | Suzanne Birmingham | Teddie Martin | | Beth Calhoun | Lynn Montgomery | | Lynn Frank | Jean Peeler | | Nancy Hall | Theresa Pitner | | Rebecca Jennings | Liz Strillacci | | Ed Klebaur |
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This membership list was last updated on September 25, 2025.
Your annual membership provides critical funding for our maintenance, acquisitions, and programming. To see the different levels of membership we offer and sign up, click here.
You can pay your dues by mailing in a check, or you can pay online.
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Thank You!
Thanks to you, our mission continues to preserve history, enrich the community, and spread joy.
Reply to this email if you’d like to connect with a member of our staff, volunteer, share feedback, or make a suggestion. We love hearing from you!
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