This story has been updated.
A shared love for the timeless, iconic American Girl Doll brand has evolved into an immersive adult program at Mattituck-Laurel Library.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, at 11 a.m. the library will host an American Girl Doll Celebratory Tea Party for adults, who will enjoy an informal book discussion with Mary Mahoney, co-author of “Dolls of Our Lives: Why Can’t We Quit American Girl” and co-host of the popular podcast, “Dolls of Our Lives.” A book sale and signing will follow the talk.
As part of the festivities, Mattituck-Laurel librarians are asking registered guests to submit photos and stories of their childhood American Girl experiences in advance, which will be displayed in a slideshow during the event. These can be emailed to [emailprotected].
During the tea party portion of the event, attendees can purchase raffle tickets for a silent auction of a grand prize gift certificate for an American Girl Doll, a gift certificate for a Target “Our Generation” doll and a gift certificate for “Tea for Two” at Special Effects in Greenport. To enhance the nostalgia, there will be old vintage American Girl catalogs and magazines for guests to browse.
How the event came to be
After receiving a copy of Ms. Mahoney’s book, librarians Sara Colichio, Marissa Timm, Sharon Twickler and Shauna Scholl began sharing their own fond memories of growing up and playing with American Girl dolls.
The American Girl experience goes beyond the physical doll, they said. Through the associated character books, young girls can dive into the world of their dolls and the various eras they represent. There are also period outfits and accessories, furniture, cookbooks and, of course, the American Girl Place store in New York City, which features a doll hospital, salon, dining and more.
The influence the brand had on the librarians’ respective childhoods gave them the idea to host a program for other adults who want to reconnect with those same memories.
“They’re not just a doll, it’s like a whole experience,” said Ms. Colichio. “Ever since the book came in, it’s just been really nostalgic, kind of euphoric and fun.”
At age 6, Ms. Timm recalled going to a friend’s house, gathering her American Girl dolls — Kit, Kirsten and Molly — and having a tea party with them. Seeing her friend’s love for her dolls, she tried to convince her parents to buy her one too, she said.
“My mom told my grandma and what interested my grandma in getting me a doll was actually the books,” Ms. Timm said. “I had grown up learning to read with my grandma. We would have sleepovers and I would bring a stack of books every night — my grandma, very politely, read most of them with me.”
A fitting gift for her avid reader of a granddaughter, Ms. Timm’s grandmother purchased her first American Girl Doll, Kirsten, and the accompanying book. Over the years, both of her grandmothers gifted her other American Girls, including Samantha, Josephina and Kit.
Ms. Timm said Kit ended up becoming her favorite, as she represented the Great Depression, the period when her grandmother grew up. She also credits the historical dolls and their stories for nurturing her love of history, which became her college major.
“I just felt like it was really cool to read about these girls who I could see myself in, but back in a very different time,” Ms. Timm said.
Ms. Scholl said she identifies as a “Samantha,” referring to the first American Girl Doll to be released, Samantha Parkington. She remembered picking the Victorian-era doll out of the coveted catalog and receiving Samantha as a Christmas gift from her parents.
Growing up as an only child, she said it was nice to have the connection and see facets of herself in her doll or through her story. Sometimes, she joked, the playdates she conducted with Samantha led to makeovers.
“I think we all do what little girls do — I didn’t cut her hair, but I did give her a new hairstyle,” Ms. Scholl said. “I did have to try to restore her back to herself because now as an adult, everything needs to be how it was, but she is still wearing some glittery eyeshadow and nail polish that I haven’t been able to get out.”
Ms. Twickler passed her original Samantha doll on to her niece, but when she was in college and heard that American Girl planned to retire Samantha, she hastily bought another for her adult self.
“I was always enamored with her world — the clothing, furniture, her accessories — I just wanted to jump into her Victorian/Edwardian world,” Ms. Twickler said. “I’m still obsessed with that time period and I ended up studying history, even getting my master’s and everything; I’m still very much a Victorian girl.”
Ms. Colichio said she was attracted to the “aesthetic” of Molly McIntire — one of the first three American Girl dolls released in 1986. Her brown braids with red bows at the ends, recognizable round wire-framed glasses and silver heart locket intrigued young Colichio, she recalled.
Even though Molly grew up in the 1940s, Ms. Colichio said she and the character had things in common, such as a dislike of turnips and a struggle with multiplication, which Ms. Colichio experienced in the third grade.
“I think I just fell even more in love with her when I started reading her book, too,” Ms. Colichio said. “She’s not a baby doll; she’s a doll that represents a girl my age at the time growing up and she’s still so relatable.”
Ms. Colichio has introduced her original American Girl dolls to her 5-year-old daughter, who she hopes will experience the same magic and eventually pass the dolls down to future generations.
“I look forward to giving them to her one day,” she said.
To register for the event, visit mattitucklaurelibrary.com or email [emailprotected] for questions.
