Dolls

To mark its 35th birthday, American Girl rereleased its original six characters (L to R): Felicity Merriman, Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, Addy Walker, Josefina Montoya and Molly McIntire.

The Enduring Nostalgia of American Girl Dolls

The beloved line of fictional characters taught children about American history and encouraged them to realize their potential

The custom-made gallery will house more than 80 miniature works by leading contemporary artists.

Dollhouse-Sized Exhibition Will Showcase Mini Creations by Art-World Giants

A new show at the Pallant House Gallery in England features pint-sized works by Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread and more

When all was said and done, Thomas Edison would call his talking dolls his "little monsters."

The Epic Failure of Thomas Edison's Talking Doll

Expensive, heavy, non-functioning and a little scary looking, the doll created by America's hero-inventor was a commercial flop

The "Fashionista" line now boasts 176 dolls with nine body types, 35 skin tones and 94 hairstyles.

Meet the New Wave of More 'Diverse' Barbie Dolls

The additions include dolls with no hair, prosthetic limbs and vitiligo

The creepiest doll in all the land

A Minnesota Museum’s Creepy Doll Contest Is Here to Haunt Your Dreams

"The doll I disdain handling is the one with human hair," says curator Dan Nowakowski

The Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky is home to nearly 1,000 dummies once belonging to ventriloquists from around the world.

Inside the World’s Only Museum Dedicated to Ventriloquism

The Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky is home to nearly 1,000 dummies once brought to life by ventriloquists

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum was co-founded by two friends who have been collecting the figures for the past 16 years

Milwaukee Museum Features More Than 6,500 Collectible Bobbleheads (and Counting)

The duo behind project find the art in the unblinking figurine, displaying bobbleheads from all walks of life, including sports, pop culture and politics

Bradford saw the dollhouse, shown decorated for Christmas, as ever evolving: "I shall never be completely satisfied with its creation."

Christmas at the Smithsonian's Dolls' House Includes All the Trimmings—in Miniature

It's 'Deck the Halls' with Christmas cheer at the beloved Victorian-style dollhouse at the National Museum of American History

Three-Room Dwelling (detail) by Frances Glessner Lee, about 1944-46

Home Is Where the Corpse Is—at Least in These Dollhouse Crime Scenes

Frances Glessner Lee's "Nutshell Studies" exemplify the intersection of forensic science and craft

A friendly Nauga.

How the Nauga and its Fictional Friends Helped Make Synthetic Fabric Cuddly

What started out as an advertising ploy turned into a low-key cultural phenomenon

Logan (second from right) is the first ever boy American Girl doll.

American Girl Announces Boy

The toy titan’s newest doll is a boy named Logan

The Powerful Objects From the Collections of the Smithsonian's Newest Museum

These artifacts each tell a part of the African-American story

Velvalee Dickinson, suspected spy.

The Spy in the Doll Shop

The FBI was confounded by mysterious letters sent to South America, until they came across New York City proprieter Velvalee Dickinson

The Chateau d'Ussé has connections with Sleeping Beauty...and contains a slightly creepy surprise.

The French Castle That May Have Inspired "Sleeping Beauty" Is Filled With Creepy Mannequins

In honor of Charles Perrault's birthday, explore the Chateau d'Usse

A marionette performs atop a Matsuri float

In Japan, Autumn Means a Parade of (Not-at-All-Creepy) Robot Puppets

A 350-year-old festival in Takayama celebrates creativity — and contains the seeds of modern robotics

The History of Creepy Dolls

Take a trip to the uncanny valley and hope you make it back unscathed

An original schematic of Thomas Edison's speaking doll showing the phonograph mechanism inside

Listen to the Newly Reconstructed, Very Creepy Voices of Thomas Edison’s Dolls

A lab figured out how to hear the rare talking dolls without damaging the original recordings

When We're Lonely, Inanimate Faces Come Alive

Our minds are less particular about the source of comfort when we are craving contact with others

Workers furnish Queen Mary's Dollhouse in the drawing room of Lutyen's London apartment

From Bauhaus to Dollhouse: When Architects Think Small

For some architects, miniature houses are a big deal

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