The Bones & Bobbins Podcast, Season 1, Episode 05: Dolls, Creepy Lil Bastards

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The Bones & Bobbins Podcast, Season 1, Episode 05: Dolls, Creepy Lil Bastards

You know what situation both Haley and Natali will nope right on out of? Creepy dolls. Whether they’re ceramics inspired by a morbid cautionary tale or literal wax copies of Victorian children who passed too soon, there’s just something about these dolls–or any doll, really–that’s always just a tiny bit unsettling. So, come along with us in season 1, episode 5 of the Bones & Bobbins Podcast as we open one of our more securely locked cabinets in the Curiosity Shop and explore the sad origins and clever finishing techniques of Frozen Charlotte dolls, plus the many, many dolls and effigies made by mourning Victorians and modern makers.

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Show Notes:

Here are links to the sources and resources we used while researching this episode:

Links to research materials: 

Frozen Charlotte Origin:

• The Chilling Story of ‘Frozen Charlotte’ and the Corpse-Like Dolls that Bear Her Name, The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/08/chilling-story-frozen-charlotte-corpse-like-dolls-that-bear-her-name/ 
• Young Charlotte, Maine Folklife Center (full lyrics): https://umaine.edu/folklife/what-we-do/programs-and-events/maine-song-and-story-sampler-map/places/wells-young-charlotte/ 
• Frozen Charlotte Dessert, Martha Stewart: https://www.marthastewart.com/319051/frozen-charlottes 

Mystery of the Miniature Dolls in Coffins: 

• Smithsonian article- Edinburgh’s Mysterious Miniature Coffins
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/edinburghs-mysterious-miniature-coffins-22371426/
• Scotsman Article, Author Claims to Have Solved Edinburgh Coffin Doll Mystery https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/author-claims-have-solved-edinburgh-coffin-doll-mystery-1430490

Victorian Death/Mourning Dolls:

• Cabinet of Curiosities: Victorian Death Dolls, from The Order of the Good Death: http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/cabinet-curiosities-victorian-death-dolls
• Artist Creates Victorian Mourning Dolls to Honor Death, from Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium: https://phaneuf.net/blog/artist-creates-victorian-mourning-dolls-to-honor-death 
• Artist Flo Kane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flomade/

Further Reading:

• A super endearing Japan Times article about the Japanese art of properly saying goodbye to dolls. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2006/10/15/to-be-sorted/last-rites-for-the-memories-as-beloved-dolls-pass-away/#.XuZXfJ5Kh-U
• Speaking of Japan, A New York Times Article about Nagoro, otherwise known as “doll village”  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/asia/japan-dolls-shrinking-population-nagoro.html