More than a toy: Dolls are pieces of history, says Winnipeg collector

To Lorraine Iverach, herdolls aren't justtoysthey're fragmentsof history.

And she's got quite a range of those fragments, with at least 500 dolls in her collection, some of which she'll show off at a collectors' convention this weekend.

"A lot of dolls depict not only a fashion history but a socio-political history. Just take a look at Barbie she's got far more roles to play now than she did when she came out in the '60s," Iverach said.

"She was a fashion model then, now she's a scientist. So it just shows the changing [expectation] of women's roles, I think. It's not just to look pretty."

In an interview on CBC Manitoba'sWeekend Morning Show, Iverach said she's been interested in dolls and doll-making since she was a little girl. This weekend, she'll be at Winnipeg'sannual doll convention, which featuresmore than 60 tables of artisans and collectors thisyear.

"It's the only opportunity for Winnipeggers to go out, touch, feel, see what's available in the doll market, and there's things available for all ages," she said.

"There's little toys, there's expensive toys. There's collectibles for men, as well as for women."

This is the fifth year for what is now the Winnipeg Doll Extravaganza, but Iverach said she's been going todoll conventions in one form or another for the past 20 years.

She said she made her first doll when she was around five years old, gluing a small paper face onto a pipe-cleaner body and presenting it proudly to her mom. She never losther interest in making dolls.

"Well, like many things in life, it's a bit of an addiction. So yes, my name is Lorraine and I'm a doll collector," she joked.

Iverach said she's most interested in different forms of doll construction, and has items made of china, wood, cloth and other materials. She's even got some dolls stuffed with tea, made in Innucommunities in Newfoundland and Labrador to store tea while families travelled.

Her personal favourite is a 30-centimetre-talldoll from the 1860s, with a white, glazed china face and a dress she painstakingly reproduced from the original.

"Who knows the history, if this doll could talk, what she could say."

The Winnipeg Doll Extravaganza runs Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.at the Viscount Gort Hotel at 1670 Portage Ave. Tickets are available at the door and cost $5 for adults or $2 for kids 12 and under.