Heartfelt Dolls
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Doll 70: Albert Kent

31/7/2017

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Albert Kent was a small man, born with congenital deformities.
He was born in London in 1896.
Kept inside for most of his childhood,
he developed a great love for books.
As a young man,
he was apprenticed to a bookbinder.
Albert excelled at this work.
Eventually, he progressed to being a book gilder,
adding gold leaf to fine tomes.

Albert did not pass the medical to enlist in the army to fight in WW1.
Instead he joined the home guard.

It was in this store that he met book lover, Violet Brennan.
They married in 1919
and had 6 children:
Baxter b. 1920
Josephine b. 1921
Lucy b. 1923
Edgar b. 1926
Oliver b. 1927
Warren b. 1930.
Picture

This pattern follows the template quite closely.
The legs are very curved
to hint at deformity.
The upper torso and shoulders reflect
the slope of the teardrop template.
Long narrow arms are stitched to the shoulders.
For reflection ...
Albert lived with congenital deformities.
What is my attitude to those born with disabilities?
Do I believe parents-to-be should be given the option
to abort children with life-threatening complications
or chromosomal abnormalities?

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Doll 69: Violet Kent

30/7/2017

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Violet Brennan was born in 1898 to William and Adalie Brennan.
She loved the Music Hall
but did not want to pursue a career there.
Instead, she developed a passion for another art from - photography.
Violet got a position in a photographic studio.
She took many photos of young men in their service uniforms
before they went off to war.

She met Albert Kent who worked in the same street as her.
They married in 1919
and had 6 children:
Baxter b. 1920
Josephine b. 1921
Lucy b. 1923
Edgar b. 1926
Oliver b. 1927
Warren b. 1930.
Picture

The lower torso is almost a replica
of the teardrop template.
The upper torso is stretched,
the shoulders flattened,
and the neck elongated.
Long narrow arms are sewn to the shoulders.
For reflection ...
Violet took photographs of service men,
for families to treasure.
How important is it for us to keep a record of our families?

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Doll 68: Ada Brennan

29/7/2017

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Ada Williams was born in 1898 in Cornwall, England.
She was a Quaker, who alongside her mother,
who fought hard for the causes of socialism and feminism.
Ada believed that women needed to take actions themselves,
believe in their own self-worth,
and endeavour to improve their living and working conditions.

Ada volunteered at a military hospital in London during World War 1.
It was there she empowered women to take their rightful position in society.
She met Jules Brennan, a medical student working at the hospital.
They married in 1923.
They had 4 children:
Parker b. 1924
Edward b. 1925
Hannah b. 1926
Sarah b. 1927
Picture
The teardrop shape cannot be seen in this figure.
The hips have been broadened.
The upper torso is almost triangular in shape,
the peak of the triangle forming a rounded head.
There is a suggestion of a curve
in the long legs.
Long narrow arms have been stitched
to the base of the neck.

For reflection ...
Ada believed in empowering and enabling women.
How do I empower and enable others?

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Thinking about communication ...

28/7/2017

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As the fictional Brennan family disperses around the globe,
I wonder about communication.

Did Silas and Grace Brennan ever know their young son had died on a prison ship?
Did convict Florence ever write to his parents?
How long would these letters have taken to arrive?
Today, we communicate with face-time and Skype and Snapchat.
There is no isolation and waiting for the postman.
How does that influence our demand for instant gratification,
for up-to-date news, to know NOW?

How was bad news conveyed?
When Kevin Buchanan died on the Somme,
was it an official, emotionless telegram that told a family
that their world was destroyed?
What responsibility do bearers of bad tidings have
to offer support, reveal compassion, companion grief?

When the E-coli epidemic broke out in Western Africa,
the world knew almost immediately and efforts were made to
help the affected and contain the outbreak.
With better communication,
could the effects of the Spanish Influenza which ravaged the population of Tahiti
have been mitigated?

Indigenous populations were very vulnerable to viruses and bacteria carried by colonists.
What moral responsibility do these pioneers have
in accepting their role in communicating infectious diseases and decimating native populations?

New languages were introduced and nearly obliterated native tongues.
How were important treaties, such as the Treaty of Waitangi, signed
and the ideas they contained, communicated?
Was there reciprocity and mutual exchange?
How do we ensure we have made ourselves understood?

How do I feel about bilingual and multi-lingual communities?
Do I embrace diversity?
Do I respect the languages of different ethnic groups?

Parents often have dreams for their children.
How are these communicated?
Should children be expected to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of their parents?
When Maurice Donovan turned his back on academia and joined the circus,
how did his family respond?
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Doll 67: Jules Brennan

28/7/2017

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Jules Brennan was the eldest child of William Brennan and Adalie Dubois.
He was born in 1895 in London.
He was born into a family of performing artists,
but Jules had a far more intellectual bent.
He won a scholarship to study medicine at university.
After 2 years of study,
Jules was conscripted to fight in the war.
However, he failed because of poor eyesight.
Instead he  work in military hospitals in London
until the end of the war.
Jules then resumed his studies.

He met Ada Williams who was also volunteering at a military hospital.
They married in 1923.
They had 4 children:
Parker b. 1924
Edward b. 1925
Hannah b. 1926
Sarah b. 1927
Picture
The teardrop template
is reflected in the lower torso and legs.
The upper torso is very narrow
with slightly sloping shoulders.
The neck is very long
with only a hint of a head.
Long narrow arms are buttoned
to the base of the neck.
For reflection ...
Jules set aside his studies to volunteer in military hospitals.
Is there any greater thing we can do
than set aside our lives to help another?

0 Comments

Doll 66: Jim Larkin

27/7/2017

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James Larkin, known as Jim, was born in 1877.
His father and grandfather both served in the Royal Irish Constabulary.
The Royal Irish Constabulary was created with the Drummond Act of 1836.
He was a policeman during very difficult times in County Mayo.
Jim trained at the Depot facility at Phoenix Park, Dublin.
The pay for police was poor.
It ranged from 39 pounds per annum for less than 6 months service,
to 72 pounds per annum for more than 25 years service.

After 7 years service, police could marry.
Jim married Elizabeth Tobin in 1905.
They had 4 children:
Kieran b. 1907
Silas b. 1909
Grace b. 1911
Riordhan b. 1913.

Picture
This is a real teardrop shape.
The shoulders are quite rounded.
The torso is rotund,
and curves gently down through the legs.
The neck is stretched
and there is a rounded head.
Long narrow arms are sewn
to the base of the neck.
For reflection ...
Jim Larkin was a policeman.
What are my attitudes towards the laws of the land,
and those who enforce them?

0 Comments

Doll 65: Elizabeth Larkin

26/7/2017

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Elizabeth Tobin was born in 1888 to Brigid and Kieran Tobin.
She was their youngest child and only daughter.

Elizabeth married police constable, Jim Larkin in 1905.
She lived with Jim in the police barracks.
Her role was to cook for the men and their families.
All their children were born in the barracks.
They had 4 children:
Kieran b. 1907
Silas b. 1909
Grace b. 1911
Riordhan b. 1913.

Picture
Many of the shapeliness of this figure
is lost under the voluminous skirt!
The teardrop shape is reflected in the lower torso.
Separate legs are stitched to the base
following the curve of the torso.
The waist is very nipped in.
The shoulders are sloped.
Long narrow arms are sewn
to the edge of the shoulders.
For reflection ...
Elizabeth's living conditions did not provide much privacy.
What are the benefits of living in community?

0 Comments

Doll 64: Aisling Tobin

25/7/2017

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Aisling Walsh was born in 1890.
She was the eleventh child of Michael and Helen Walsh.
Aisling was cared for mainly by her older siblings.

Aisling married Dermot Tobin in 1907.
They had 5 children:
Eileen b. 1909
Grainne b. 1911
Niall b. 1912
Pierce b. 1914
Ronan b. 1915.

She supplemented the meagre income Dermot earned on the farm by
performing many casual jobs,
including char, laundry for wealthier neighbours,
and sewing of dresses for special occasions, such as First Holy Communion.
Picture
This figure is larger than the template.
The curve of the legs suggests
a teardrop shape.
The legs are stitched onto the base of the torso
which has been cut straight across.
Long narrow arms are buttoned
to the base of the neck.
For reflection ...
Aisling came from a large poor family.
She knew how to work hard and make things stretch.
Do I take my income for granted?
How could I economise?

0 Comments

Doll 63: Dermot Tobin

24/7/2017

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Dermot Tobin was the 5th son of Brigid and Kieran Tobin.
He was born in 1887.
Dermot took on the responsibility of helping his father with the land holding.
He supplemented the farm income with local odd jobs around,
and sales of produce at local markets.

Dermot married local lass, Aisling Walsh, in 1907.
They had 5 children:
Eileen b. 1909
Grainne b. 1911
Niall b. 1912
Pierce b. 1914
Ronan b. 1917
Picture
This figure shows the teardrop shape clearly.
Rounded shoulders.
Curved lower torso and legs.
A long neck reaches up to a narrow head.
(Just a hint but we know what it is.)
Long narrow arms are added to the base of the neck.
For reflection ...
Dermot sold farm surplus at a local market.
What do I do with things which are surplus to my needs?
Do I have a conservation ethic?

0 Comments

Doll 62: Patrick Tobin

23/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Born in 1885, Patrick Tobin is the 4th son of Brigid and Kieran Tobin.
Patrick enjoyed the pilgrimages he went on with his mother to Knock.
He developed a special desire to go on mission to China.
In 1903, he joined the Columban Fathers.
After ordination, he served in several Asian countries
before joining the Mission to Hanyang District in China.
For 3 decades, the Columban Fathers were caught in the middle of a Civil War
between Guominjun Nationalist Army and the Chinese Communist Party.
Supplies were often stolen.
Mission workers were kidnapped or tortured and murdered.
Picture

The slope of the shoulders
is the only part of this figure that reflects the teardrop shape.
A long straight torso was drwan
with feet incorporated into the body.
Long narrow arms are buttoned to the base of the neck.
For reflection ...
Patrick was a missioner.
What gives one religion the right to replace indigenous spiritual beliefs
with another?
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