COVER STORY : Dolls Open New Vistas for a Long-Ago Tomboy

Jo McKirahan, a self-described tomboy, never gave dolls a second thought as a young girl, but with dolls now stationed in every room of her large home, she has made up for lost time.

Besides an overflowing crew occupying both guest bedrooms, the living room and the master bedroom, McKirahan has converted a linen closet into a large curio cabinet.

During a recent tour, McKirahan’s husband, Robert, made a brief appearance, smiled politely, then left the room without saying a word.

“He’s grown accustomed to my idiosyncrasies,” McKirahan said. “There was a time when I’d sort of sneak the dolls into the house. If somebody came over and wanted to see the dolls, he’d follow us around for a while. He’s never noticed Songa yet,” she said, pointing to an African-American girl doll sitting on the couch.

McKirahan began collecting dolls in 1960 when she and her husband had to relocate from Northern California to the San Fernando Valley. It was a move she was less than thrilled about.

“I was depressed to say the least. So I started doing needlepoint and collecting what I call my therapy dolls,” McKirahan said. “In 1970, I started working with Anita Hawkins, owner of the Van Nuys Doll Museum, and the more I worked, the more fascinated I got.”

About 15 years ago, McKirahan stopped collecting antique dolls when prices got too steep. She switched to buying “ads,” dolls that companies sell as promotions. The most she has paid is $20, she said.

“I’m an old lady and I don’t need to have any more old dolls around,” McKirahan said. “In the last few years I’ve bought ads. I just keep a big can filled with proofs of purchase and when I get enough, I send them in.”

Much of McKirahan’s collection is made up of older dolls, a few dating back to the late 1800s. Her collection is made of felt, rubber, porcelain, china, leather, wood, wax and celluloid.

All of them are replicas of children. Grudgingly, she added one Barbie to her collection a couple of years ago; she objects to the newfangled Barbies that are accessorized with everything from Rollerblades to opinions about math.

Because she got a late start, McKirahan is loath to think about who she wants to leave her collection to. Still, she hopes her four sons will keep certain dolls in the family.