DULUTH — Creepy dolls are everywhere in popular culture. From movies such as "Chucky" to "Annabelle" to references on TV shows like "Only Murders in the Building," vintage dolls are often perceived as spooky and creepy.
Moose Lake resident Laura Carlson Goewey, formerly of Duluth, decided to embrace the creepy side of the vintage dolls she collects and sells. Recently, she brought four of her collection to North Shorror, a creepy Halloween art display at the St. Louis County Depot. She displayed some dolls in a plastic case, themed around spooky things.
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It was the plain doll that spooked visitors out.
"I had this doll on display so people could hold and pose with her if they wanted on the opening night," Goewey said. "Everyone refused, especially the kids. They were so creeped out by her, even though she's the least creepy."
When asked how she first got interested in creepy dolls, Goewey cited a couple sources. One was a story she'd been told by her mother about a special porcelain doll that her mother's aunt shipped to her as a child.
"My mother grew up on Madeline Island, so to have a doll shipped to you from England was a big deal," Goewey said. "Unfortunately, when it arrived, the face was all cracked up. I imagine my mom's disappointment must have been terrible. But you can take that disappointment and make it something beautiful. I asked if she did anything to make it a new head, but she couldn't remember."
Goewey has a series of creepy dolls with parts added onto their bodies to replace missing arms or legs. One doll has a garden tool instead of an arm and a small rake instead of a leg.
"I started putting the pieces together, kind of cannibalizing them to make new creations," Goewey said. "I started building my collection of old composition dolls which were made, well the peak was, in 1920-40 from sawdust and glue. They had different parts that I could put together to make something new."
But this isn't the only source of inspiration for Goewey. She also credits some of her darkness to experiencing Stage 2 breast cancer about eight years ago, around the time she started making the creepy dolls.
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"A lot of people ask me where that creativity comes from, and to tell you the truth, I don't know," Goewey said. "Sometimes I think the darkness came from having breast cancer, but so many people have it way worse, so I'm not sure."
When Goewey decides to make a new creepy doll, she looks over her extensive collection to choose the right head or body. Carlson said she looks at the eyes to decide what kind of doll she will make and what sort of a creepy theme she'll stitch.
"It's the eyes that tell you what it wants to be," Goewey said. "When the expressions of the eyes don't really match the expressions of the mouth, then you have creepiness. Some of them are just so sweet and beautiful and you can't do anything with them. They're just too nice."
Some of the themes Goewey has crafted her dolls around include creating a version of Uncle Fester from the Addams Family, a Ouija board doll, a bee king and other creepy themes. Sometimes, she looks through her vintage sewing notion collections to find inspiration and embellishments that match a doll's personality.
"You can find your inspiration anywhere. Like this one has a bit from a dishtowel I bought at a vintage store," Goewey said. "So I knew this one was going to be bug-themed."
Goewey has sold her dolls to buyers at events and to friends and family, but she said some of them are too personal to sell.
"As with most artists, I'd like to make a little bit of money and sell them, but sometimes they're just so personal. You spend so much time with them that they're hard to let go," Goewey said. "But I'll sell them for the right price."
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In the future, Goewey would like to sell them at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo in the Twin Cities.
"They're the right people for them. They're looking for a little bit of creepy in their lives," she said.
In the meantime, Goewey said her husband tolerates the collection of creepy dolls, both finished and unfinished.
"That's another thing people ask me all the time. They'll be like, 'Bob, what do you think of all the creepy dolls everywhere?' And he doesn't mind. He just lets me do it," Goewey said. "He's just as creative. If I'm stumped, I'll ask him for an idea or ask, 'How can I make this better?' He'll drill a hole through an arm for me. He's supportive."
When she's not creating creepy vintage dolls, Goewey also creates beaded artwork and has other items for sale on her Etsy page, VintageAtticOddities, including a couple creepy dolls.
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