Published: October 03, 2008 02:05 pm            

Museum gets all dolled up

BY RUTH RICE

RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM

This dollhouse has no vacancies.

The Marcia Ponas Doll Museum will provide a permanent home for more than 800 collectible dolls. Its grand opening is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

The dolls are housed in a 1,500-square-foot addition to the arts center that was paid for by John and the late Movene Ponas, the dolls’ collectors and caretakers.

John Ponas, 89, of Southmont also designed and paid for 19 custom-built wooden cabinets to display the treasured items.

He donated the collection to the arts center in memory of his wife, who died in 1999.

“They’ve never been on display all at one time,” Ponas said. “My wife would be pleased to see all of them on display. I know how much Movene loved them.”

The dolls are arranged on adjustable glass shelves in glass cabinets, and their original boxes are stored behind wooden doors below.

The dolls’ room was built in 1996 or 1997, and the collection, safe inside the boxes, was stacked on steel shelving units that filled the room.

Ponas and Mary Lynn Mahla, the doll museum’s curator and an arts center board member, began the gargantuan task of sorting, cataloging and readying the dolls for display this summer.

“This has been a fun project,” Mahla said. “Opening each box was like Christmas.”

Movene Ponas started her collection when she was a girl growing up in the Kernville section of Johnstown. She received an imported German baby doll as a Christmas present from Vigilant Fire Company in 1920.

Many of the dolls in the Ponas’ collection were bought on trips around the world.

Some of the dolls were displayed for “A Family of Dolls” in the arts center’s main gallery 10 years ago.

The collection is named for the Ponas’ daughter, Marcia Ponas Warrick, who died in 1985.

“I counted them, and there are 877 dolls,” Ponas said.

A tour of the locked display cases revealed the meticulous work Ponas and Mahla put into preparing the dolls for the public.

As much as possible, they have been grouped by type or theme.

Many are handcrafted. Some date from 1900, and others are reproductions.

A case of bride dolls includes a Christian Dior 40th anniversary doll, Gibson girl brides and Prince Charles and Princess Diana in their royal finery.

A case of fairytale and storybook dolls includes Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Bo Peep and her sheep, and “Wizard of Oz” characters.

Other cases display mothers caring for their babies; schoolgirls; tomboys; Hummel figurines and dolls; Amish dolls sewing, praying and bringing in eggs; Norman Rockwell dolls; and international dolls, including Russian nesting dolls.

“All of dolls have stories behind them on a little piece of paper,” Mahla said.

Christmas dolls are decked out in red and green velvet. The holiday collection includes Scrooge, Bob Crachit and Tiny Tim as well as Santa in his workshop.

Arts center executive director Rose Mary Hagadus said the doll room will be rented out for children’s tea parties.

A show-and-tell featuring children’s favorite dolls is planned in November.



Dolls on display

What: Grand opening of the Marcia Ponas Doll Museum.

When: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

Information: 255-6515.

        

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