Writing
Erick DuPree’s blog explores the intersections of anthropology, literature, and material culture to illuminate how identity, ritual, and meaning take shape across time and tradition. Blending scholarship with storytelling, these essays invite readers to engage critically and imaginatively with the cultural forces that shape both personal and collective experience.
The Art Doll Movement: From Counterculture to Collectible Treasure
Discover the rise, fall, and revival of the Art Doll Movement—from its 1970s origins to today's niche renaissance. Explore one-of-a-kind dolls as sculpture, identity, and storytelling, featuring icons like McKinley, Wiley, Bychkova, and celebrity collectors like Demi Moore.
In a World of Change: The Enduring Legacy of Wendy Lawton Dolls
Explore the legacy of artist and author Wendy Lawton, whose handcrafted porcelain dolls brought literature, faith, and history to life. From Little Women to Daughters of the Faith, Lawton’s timeless creations continue to inspire collectors around the world.
The Golden Age of Artist Dolls
Discover the golden age of artist dolls from 1980–2000—a vibrant era when sculptors like Nancy Wiley and Lisa Lichtenfels redefined dolls as fine art. Explore how new materials, celebrity collectors, and galleries like CFM fueled a movement that still inspires today.
The Golden Idol of Bob Mackie Barbie
A golden Bob Mackie Barbie became more than a doll—it was a queer awakening. From a boy forbidden the Barbie aisle to an adult embracing glamour and self-invention, this radiant idol revealed beauty, gender, and identity as sacred, theatrical, and unapologetically divine.
Why Study Dolls?
Explore the cultural power of dolls in Dolls Beyond Play by Erick DuPree—a groundbreaking study tracing dolls from ancient artifacts to modern collectibles. Blending history, psychology, and gender studies, this book reveals dolls as vital tools of identity, memory, and meaning.
Paris in Miniature: Bru, Jumeau, and the French Fashion Doll
The legacy of 19th-century French fashion dolls from Bru and Jumeau. Explore their history, artistry, and cultural impact, plus tips for identifying originals vs. reproductions. A must-read guide for collectors, historians, and anyone fascinated by antique dolls.
The Rise and Fall of Collectible Dolls: Art, Marketing, and the Great Collectible Collapse
Explore the boom and bust of the mass-produced collectible doll industry from the 1980s to 2000s. From Ashton-Drake to Franklin Mint, discover how limited editions, TV hype, and artist branding created a market bubble—and what it means for doll collectors today.
Little Ladies, Big Lessons: Victorian Fashion Dolls as Instruments of Gender Socialization
Little Ladies: Victorian Fashion Dolls and the Feminine Ideal explores how 19th-century dolls served as tools of gender training and socialization. Beneath the silks and lace lies a powerful story of class, empire, and the making of the “proper” woman—stitched in miniature.