You're never too old to follow your passion.
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We came across an interesting place to visit in Eldorado County, just off of California State Route 50 on your way toward Lake Tahoe. Just off of the Pollock Pines exit lies Ruth's Dolls and Memories. Owned and operated by 84 "years young" Marlene Ruth and her faithful companion Bella, a lovely Yorkshire terrier, is Ruth's Dolls and Memories Museum.
Marlene is a self proclaimed doll enthusiast. She has been collecting them ever since she was a young girl. Her mother was a doll collector and they collected dolls together. After more than 50 years of collecting dolls, Marlene found her home filled with over 4,000 dolls. This did not take into account the things her beloved husband Bob enjoyed collecting. His collection included model cars, beer steins, belt buckles and as an engineer he had a passion for collecting and fixing old radios. When her husband passed away, Marlene looked at her over-stuffed home and decided she needed to do something about it.
So, she decided to purchase a piece of property near Pollock Pines, just east of Placerville and open her own museum. When she got the idea, several people told her she shouldn't or couldn't do that - especially at her age. That was just the kind of motivation she needed to make it all happen. On this day, Elisa and I had the pleasure of spending time speaking with Marlene. She is really an incredible woman with real passion and not just for dolls but for life itself. Marlene spent her life working a variety of jobs that were all focused on customer relations or public relations. These included stints in the banking, restaurant and many other sectors. As she got older, she and Bob contributed their time and effort to hospice charities, the Chamber of Commerce and the Welcome Wagon to just name a few things. All of this has helped her to embark on her latest endeavor. Having opened and operated a museum of our own, we know just how hard it is to make it happen. As we spent time with Marlene, we marvel at what she has accomplished in a relatively short time with very little help and outside financial help.
Marlene's collection is pretty eclectic. It is comprised of really exceptional collection of German made bisque and porcelain dolls by makers such as Simon & Halbig, Armand Marseille and others that will surely appeal to the "serious" doll collectors. Her collection is also comprised of several composition dolls typical of the turn of the 20th century. She has a collection of Shirley Temple dolls, Patsy, Nancy Ann Story Book dolls and even an original Buddy Lee doll and many others. What is also fun is that she has a substantial collection of themed contemporary dolls that were commonly sold in the 1970s - 2000s, but she has dressed them, arranged and displayed them in a whimsical way that will entertain kids and adults alike. Marlene was also an avid doll maker in her earlier days. Some of her porcelain dolls and their hand-made costumes are very well done. Also interspersed with her collection are antique collectibles that augment her displays. Her husband's radio collection is also displayed in several rooms of the museum.
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In one corner of the museum, Marlene has a collection of Bride dolls. On a full sized mannequin you will see a beautiful hand-made bridal gown. Next to it is a photo album of wedding pictures of a very young Marlene and Bob from 1953. Upon closer inspection you will see that the dress in the photos is the exact same dress the mannequin is wearing. Marlene is very proud to point out that she made her wedding dress herself, by hand while she was still in high school. Not only that, the total cost for the fabric and lace was a "whopping" $11.50. Having just had our own daughter get married recently, I can tell you that her store bought wedding dress cost significantly more than $11.50.
Since Marlene has opened her museum, she has been featured on a number of local TV news segments and also featured in newspaper pieces. This has helped bring people from all over the country and the world to her little museum. From our own experience, we know that "if you build it they will come". What this means that if you have a toy and doll museum, there will be no shortage of people who are interested in donating their own collections to you with the hope that their beloved items might be on display for the public. Since Marlene has opened her museum, her collection has continued to expand and she hasn't had to pay a penny for any of it. The contributors only hope that their items might make it on display.
The collection is housed in a former church, that Marlene has lovingly converted into a museum. She continues to make renovations to the building and is constantly arranging and re-arranging her sizable collection. All of this takes money to make happen and although Marlene is largely doing this out of her passion for collecting and to share it with the public your direct support would be very much appreciated and help her keep the doors open. So, if your travels find you on CA-50 on the way to Lake Tahoe, please take a little time out of your day to stop and pay Marlene and Bella a visit. It will put a smile on your face and I'm sure you will enjoy it.
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