I had no idea that the International Institute– a non-profit organization not far from the WSU campus had one of the best-kept secrets in town, nay, the country itself! It houses– get this– a miniature doll collection, officially known as The Doll Musuem within its premises (one huge hall w/ glass-cases around its entire perimeter) that represents approximately 150 countries! It is an awe-inspiring collection not just for the sake of the many countries represented, but for the detailed work on each miniature figurine. It was a collection apparently started in the 1970s, and has grown over time. It is folk-art at its very best: intricate creations of people from around the world– in their native dress. These pictures are only a small selection of the entire collection! For more information on the International Institute of Detroit, see: http://www.iimd.org/
Incidentally, I have always been fascinated w/ folk-art dolls, and have my own private collection from about 10 countries!
I apologize for the horrendous picture quality of this slideshow. My phone at the time these pictures were taken, which was exactly a year ago, was an antiquated one, and the lighting inside the building didn’t help either… Will need to make a trip another time to capture some clearer shots, but until such time, here’s something to offer a sense for the lovely treasures that lie within this building.
