Private collector opens island´s first doll museum in Palma

Toy dolls never lose their fascination, and Palma now has the first doll museum on the island, with more than 400 exhibits. The museum opened less than three weeks ago, quietly and without fanfare, in Calle Palau Real, near the Cathedral. The exhibits, from different countries and periods, belong to the private collection of Alicia Garcia German, who in the past has been reluctant to put them on show. The oldest ones are made of wood. Some are of wax, with painted eyes, others of papier mâché or porcelain. There is one showcase dedicated to the most emblematic Spanish doll, known as Mariquita Pérez, which was created in the post-Civil War years and was produced until the factory closed in 1965. Two of the versions were designed by Eva Peron. The most prestigious dolls come from Germany and France, and were made between 1870 and 1930.