Doliau: The Welsh costume dolls project

The Welsh costume dolls project was a study of 38 19th century dolls, dressed in Welsh costume. It was undertaken in 2011-2012 to analyse the fabrics (possibly the oldest surviving Welsh fabrics), and the styles of dress on the dolls.

The project was funded by a grant from CyMAL : Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales (Welsh Government) and the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales.

The project included nearly all the 19th century dolls in public collections in Britain including: St Fagans National History Museum; Pembrokeshire Museum; Tenby Museum; Gwynedd Museum, Bangor; Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth; Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery ; Hereford Museum; Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of Childhood (London); Museum of London; Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent and a private collection. The project partners are grateful to all the museums who were kind enough to allow their dolls to be studied.

Technical examination of the dolls and their costumes was undertaken by Emma Telford and Clare Stoughton-Harris (independent conservators), and Jenny Barsby (National Museum Wales). Jihyun Kwon, student MSc Care of Collections, Cardiff University, Department of Archaeology and Conservation and staff at the Museum of London x-rayed the dolls.

The partners were:

Ceredigion Museum (Michael Freeman, curator of Ceredigion Museums, 1991-2012, who is studying the history and fabrics of traditional costumes worn by women in Wales, 1770 to the present.)

National Museum Wales (Diane Gwilt, Elen Phillips, Emma Lile, Jenny Barsby, Mary Davis, Sue Renault)

Cardiff University, Department of Archaeology and Conservation (Jane Henderson)

Federation of Museums and Art Galleries in Wales (Rachael Rogers)

The reports consist of:

• a summary of the technical examination by Emma Telford and Clare Stoughton-Harris
• at least one x ray of each doll
• detailed descriptions and high resolution photographs of each garment on every doll

The summary report and full reports for each garment are on: https://welshhat.wordpress.com/welsh-costume-dolls/doliau-welsh-costume-dolls-project/