My dolls. The restored dolls from the Lola Anglada Collection

Exposition

My dolls. The restored dolls from the Lola Anglada Collection

The Sitges Museums present a selection of restored pieces from one of the most unique collections linked to the creative world of Lola Anglada.
From October 8, 2026 to April 4, 2027
Lola Anglada Corner – Maricel Museum

The Sitges Museums present "My Dolls: The Restored Dolls from the Lola Anglada Collection" an exhibition that allows visitors to rediscover part of one of the legacies linked to the artist, illustrator, and writer: her doll collection.

The dolls were part of Lola Anglada's personal imagination and bear witness to her interest in the world of childhood, popular culture, and the decorative arts, as well as to her unique way of seeing, transforming, and creating. Originating from various countries, such as Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan, the pieces span a broad chronological range, from the late 17th century to the first half of the 20th century.

The new presentation focuses not only on the historical and artistic value of the dolls, but also on the conservation, restoration, study, and research work that has made it possible to preserve them and bring them back to the public.

Lola Anglada's Dolls: Collecting, Transforming, and Creating

Lola Anglada bought and collected dolls in a wide variety of conditions. Some arrived complete and dressed; Others were naked or dismembered. In these cases, she dressed them, reassembled them, and sometimes even restored them.

The dolls thus became much more than collector's items: they were pieces that Anglada transformed and incorporated into her own creative universe. These interventions, along with the marks left by the passage of time, now form part of the history of each piece.

This personal dimension allows us to approach Lola Anglada through the objects she collected, preserved, and transformed over time.

Restoring Without Erasing History

The passage of time has led to the deterioration of various pieces in the collection, necessitating a particularly complex conservation and restoration process.

The diversity of materials used to make the dolls—textiles, wood, porcelain, wax, metal, leather, and celluloid, among others—constitutes one of the main challenges for their conservation. These materials age differently and can interact with each other, generating deterioration processes.

To intervene appropriately, it has been necessary to study the materials, manufacturing techniques, and transformations they have undergone over time. This diversity has also required the participation of professionals specializing in different materials and techniques, and the sum of this knowledge has allowed each piece to be approached from multiple perspectives, respecting its history and unique characteristics.

The conservation and restoration process for the dolls, applying criteria of minimal intervention and respect for their authenticity, has stabilized the materials, restored the pieces' original character, and ensured their future preservation.

The aim has not simply been to restore their appearance, but also to preserve the traces of time, the uses, transformations, and interventions that are part of each doll's history.

A Diverse Collection

The selection presented at the Racó Lola Anglada allows visitors to discover the geographical, chronological, material, and typological diversity of the Lola Anglada Collection.

Among the oldest pieces is Beatriu, the name Lola Anglada gave to an Italian doll dating from the late 17th or early 18th century. Also included are Elvira, made between Hildburghausen, Thuringia, and Paris; the Parisian dolls Camila and Pastora; and Delfina, an automaton from the Gustave Vichy factory, made in Paris in 1878.

The exhibition also features Arlequí, a mechanical doll from the Roullet & Decamps factory; a Japanese ichimatsu doll; A Simon & Halbig mignonette and a 1929 Barcelona milliner's mannequin.

The selection is completed by examples from European manufacturers such as Fleischmann & Bloedel, Kämmer & Reinhardt, Max Räder, Kühnlenz Gebr. AG, Pierre-François and Émile Louis Jumeau, Louis Doléac et Cie., and Roullet & Decamps.

A Heritage to Preserve and Share

My Dolls: The Restored Dolls from the Lola Anglada Collection invites you to discover a small selection of the restored dolls and, at the same time, the research, study, and collaboration that made their preservation possible.

This work helps keep this heritage alive and transmit Lola Anglada's world to future generations. The exhibition thus brings into dialogue the history of the objects, the transformations they have undergone, and the contemporary work of the professionals responsible for their conservation.

Lola Anglada and the Doll Collection

Lola Anglada (Barcelona, ​​1892 – Tiana, 1984) was an illustrator and children's storyteller, and a prominent figure in 20th-century Catalan culture. The world of childhood occupied a central place in her creative universe, both in her artistic and literary work.

Her passion for collecting led to an extensive doll collection, characterized by its diverse origins, ages, materials, and styles. Beyond their value as historical objects, these pieces offer insight into Lola Anglada's perspective and the way she integrated the objects she collected into her personal imagination.

Listado completo de muñecas seleccionadas

1. Doll (named Beatriz by Lola Anglada in My Dolls)
Italy, late 17th – early 18th century
Inv. No. 1

2. Parisian Doll (named Camila by Lola Anglada in My Dolls)
Paris, circa 1882
Inv. No. 68

3. Parisian Doll (named Pastora by Lola Anglada in My Dolls)
Paris, 1867–1877
Inv. No. 74

4. Automaton (named Delfina by Lola Anglada in My Dolls)
Gustave Vichy Factory
Paris, 1878
Inv. No. 288

5. Mechanical Doll (named Harlequin by Lola Anglada in My Dolls)
Roullet & Decamps Factory
Paris, 1878–1889
Inv. No. 290

6. Ichimatsu Doll
Tokyo (Japan), 1890–1926
Inv. No. 316

7. Doll
Gebr. Heubach Factory
Lichte (Thuringia, Germany), circa 1912
Inv. No. 424

8. Mediononnette Doll
Simon & Halbig Factory
Ohrdruf (Thuringia, Germany), 1880–1890
Inv. No. 447

9. Hat Mannequin
Barcelona, ​​1929
Inv. No. 524

10. Doll
Fleischmann & Bloedel Factory
Paris, 1890–1914
Inv. No. 528

11. Character Baby
Kämmer & Reinhardt Factory
Waltershausen (Thuringia, Germany), 1909
Inv. No. 532

12. Parisian Doll
Pierre-François and Émile Louis Jumeau Factory (attributed)
Paris, 1884–1887
Inv. No. 693

13. Baby
Kühnlenz, Gebr. AG Factory
Kronach (Bavaria, Germany), 1895
Inv. No. 695

14. Parisian Doll
Pierre-François and Émile Louis Jumeau Factory (attributed)
Paris, 1872–1878
Inv. No. 698

15. Parisian Doll
Louis Doléac et Cie. Factory (Attributed)
Paris, 1881–1887
Inv. No. 701

16. Mechanical Doll
Roullet & Decamps Factory
Paris, 1899
Inv. No. 716e