Hello Everyone,
Alliance is a city located, about 18 miles east of Canton Ohio. It’s surprising to find a one of a kind museum in such a place. However, Alliance has two. The Troll Hole Museum, according to the Guinness Book of Records, contains the largest collection of trolls in the nation. The Feline Historical Foundation is dedicated solely to combining cats and the arts. It’s a place that cat lovers like me only dream about.
THE TROLL HOLE
On October 26, 2012, Sherry Groom, proprietor of the Troll Hole, set the Guinness World Record for the largest troll assemblage with 2,990 dolls. Her collection has continued to grow, almost on a daily basis, and now houses more than 7,000 unique dolls along with over 20,000 memorabilia items. She is in the process of updating her record with Guinness and has hired an intern to curate the dolls she has now.
Sherry started her collection when she was given a troll doll for Christmas at age five. A big reader of the Classics, she learned trolls have been part of Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore starting with the Norwegian Prose Edda book. Since they represented fairy and folk tales, she wanted to collect them.
Six years ago, when she owned 2,000 troll dolls, she took stock of her collection that she had obtained since the late 1990s, the years when the troll market crashed. She started searching for them at garage sales, secondhand shops, and antique stores. She bought out the inventory of Trolling Around, a former museum and gift shop in Whitman, Massachusetts that had been collected by its owner, Lisa Kerner. Kerner was so into trolls that she had a troll themed wedding complete with a troll cake topping. In March 2014, Sherry opened the Troll Hole.
After the museum opened, an article appeared about her collection in the Akron Beacon Journal which was picked up by the Associated Press. People started mailing Sherry trolls - sometimes one, sometimes their whole collection which they wanted to be seen by others. The largest amount sent was 4,000 trolls by a young man from Pittsburgh who had kept them in his parents’ garage.
TROLLS
To understand this museum, it helps to know what trolls are and the history of troll dolls. “Trolls are legendary magical creatures that bewitch people. That is why they’re so popular,” said Sherry.
They originated when the Gods Thor and Odom got into a fight with the ice giant Ymir who was slain. Out of Ymir’s body came maggots. The light maggots were pixies, elves, and gnomes while the dark maggots were trolls and bad fairies. All populated the world.
Trolls live in isolated lakes, forests, and mountains. They only come out at night since exposure to sunlight turns them into stone. Those living in the mountains hide their treasures, composed mainly of gold and silver, in their homes.
Based on Scandinavian folklore belief, lightning frightens trolls away. The ringing of church bells causes them to leave for other lands, though not without resistance. They aren’t Christians and have been known to destroy churches under construction and throw boulders and stones at completed churches.
Many are giants. Bigfoot has been called a troll. Others are humanoid in form except for their tails. Those are mostly naked so people can see their tails. However, at other times, they do wear clothing.
In the beginning, the word troll meant someone evil. However, the meaning has evolved into something friendlier. That the dolls are good luck charms has contributed to their popularity.
TROLL DOLLS
Thomas Dam, a Danish fisherman and talented woodcrafter created the first troll dolls. His wife encouraged him to sell them door-to-door which led to a job making large Christmas displays for a department store window in 1959. From this display, customers sought to buy his troll dolls which led to him opening a factory. His dolls, first made from wood, soon had bodies of rubber stuffed with wood shavings. They were made later of soft rubber then of heavy duty vinyl. Clothing was often riveted to the bodies. Eyes were made of glass. They had a mark on the bottom of their foot. Sometimes it was a date when the mold was made.
While trolls were historically portrayed as having ugly features, Dam took their wrinkled faces, oversized ears, and bulbous noses, and actually made them adorable. By the end of the 1950's, he was selling more than 10,000 trolls in Denmark each year.
Dam’s first dolls had hair made from Icelandic wool dyed white, black, or orange. It was glued to the top of the dolls’ heads providing for a bushy, wild look. The dolls were so popular that in 1964, Dam had to buy Iceland’s entire wool harvest for that year. Eventually his company, Dam Things, switched to synthetic hair.
Dam dolls are regarded by collectors as being the best of all troll dolls. They seek them out today as they have the most character, best clothing, and are of the highest quality. Troll merchandise is sought out also - sheets, blankets, jewelry, costumes, games, books, and gift wrap are only a few examples.
By the early 1960's, the interest in trolls was huge internationally. Unfortunately, for Dam, his lack of a copyright and the dolls’ popularity led to many companies making knock-off trolls with names like Wish-niks, Fauni Trolls, and Lucky Shnooks. Low-quality trolls flooded the market in the mid 1960's, leading to a decline in their popularity after 1966.
While Dam lost his creation to the public domain in the United States, his company continued in Europe. After the first wave of popularity, interest in the dolls died out until the 1980's. At that time, a marketing executive, Eva Stark, imported large numbers of Dam’s dolls referring to them as Norfin dolls.
A second period for trolls rose in the early 1990s, and they were found in every toy store and gift shop. After Thomas Dam died in 1989, new laws were passed in 1994 despite the Uneeda Doll Company’s (manufacturer of Wish-niks troll dolls) challenge. This allowed Dam Things to sue copycat manufacturers and eventually win worldwide rights to the troll doll image.
In 2013, Dream Works purchased the worldwide rights. They produced a musical comedy with Justin Timberlake as the executive musical producer. When it was released, the song “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” from the soundtrack, topped the charts in 15 countries. That was not the only film in which trolls appear. One with pink hair and a blue bathing suit had a minor role in all three Disney Toy Story films.
Hasbro, a well-known toy company, has released a new line of troll dolls. While their large heads and stubby bodies resemble the original ones from the 1960's, their facial features are not as oversized or wrinkly. Their bodies are huggable plush.
TROLL HOLE TOUR
The first room you enter is the gift shop selling vintage and recent trolls, garden art, metal art, local artwork, and souvenirs for sale. It even has troll themed candies. Next stop at their Grumpy Hole Café for coffee and teas, pastries, gourmet chocolates, soup, and Belgian waffles.
The tour starts upstairs. Your first image will fill you with amazement since every corner is covered with troll memorabilia. You can see troll tears (rainbow colored candies), troll breath mints, and troll toes (cinnamon-covered pecans). Scandinavian trolls, Smoky Mountain trolls, and troll costumed jewelry are also visible.
You’ll pass Sigrid’s Workshop where troll dolls receive minor repairs. Nearby is a full sized Poppy heroine from the Troll movie. We learned at this point that if the trolls are unique, Sherry adds them to the collection. If they’re not, she orphans them out or puts them in custom clothes. We saw two of them in African saris. One, from California, had a Palm Tree growing out of its head. A third had tattoos.
Troll themed art is also displayed. These range from a troll house to an African sculpture where the trolls have moved in. We even spotted ceramic trolls including pink ones that Sherry said scattered one day throughout the room on their own. This area has kids’ activities ranging from having their pictures taken inside a troll-based photo op to coloring of trolls.
Sherry is planning two new exhibits. One is a Troll Football Hall of Fame with trolls dressed as players, referees, and cheerleaders. Via a social media campaign, a football hall of fame player will become a troll. There will even be a Troll Bowl. The other is a Rock and Troll Hall of Fame. Justin Timberlake will be the first inductee.
Entering the next room, we saw a Trump troll doll and trolls from various movies such as Frozen and Boxtrolls. On display is a large map of Scandinavia since this is where the folklore started.
We learned trolls have certain characteristics. They all have elongated noses, oversized ears, four fingers and toes, and tails. Over a year, a troll can look like many different things - even humans.
The next room displays the economic impact of trolls. The Dam Company put out extensive merchandise after the Trolls movie was launched with an international franchise campaign taking place. Macy’s sold the largest number of items ranging from clothing for all ages to children’s toys. They even created a Princess Poppy’s tiara worth $750,000.
Troll toys appeared in Burger King and McDonald’s children’s meals. Jell-O made troll molds while Kraft created macaroni and cheese shaped trolls. The Dollar Store sold a troll child’s lawn chair. Wal Mart’s coverage was huge with troll lotions, shampoos, hairbrushes, and toothbrushes. Even Petco carried troll items.
The Crypto Zoology Room is next. It contains a troll hunter field station similar to the one in the Netflix movie Troll Hunter. Here we met with cryptologist Mark A. Hall, who advised us that Bigfoot sightings are really trolls. The room displays a troll molar, a troll toenail and a rare hunting rake used to trap birds and small game. Troll toothbrushes look like little brooms.
In the next room, David McDowell, Troll Hole’s resident artist, took over our tour from Sherry. A diorama depicts a forest landscape with 50 different trolls in plain sight - some large and some small. We learned about the three types of trolls. Mountain trolls are the size of mountains or live in mountains. They are the largest and dumbest. Huldrus are forest trolls that look most like humans. Males have tails and big noses and ears. The women are beautiful and hide their tails under dresses so people don’t know they’re trolls. They live underneath the ground in villages. Water trolls hang in and around the water.
We viewed Smoky Mountain trolls. The boys have four tufts of hair while the girls have two. Then we spotted the Dam dolls and were reminded of the characteristics of these trolls. Looking inside the mountain, we noticed the treasures Sherry had talked about in a gold lined cave.
In the next room, most of the troll dolls are duplicates. Looking in the closet, you can spot a vignette of a girl’s bedroom from the late 1980's complete with troll sheets, a troll chair, troll wall hangings, and a troll Barbie. Next to the real Barbie dolls, trolls are the second most purchased toy.
We headed downstairs to see the doll collection of which no two are alike. A difference may be as small as eye color. They are sorted by manufacturer and era. They are mostly on shelves from floor to ceiling with every inch covered. You’ll see ones from Ross Berrie and Company. With their market peaking in 1993, they were the most successful financially of all the troll companies. The company was expert at cross marketing doing trolls for football and baseball teams, holidays, and storybook characters.
David also pointed out Ace Novelty’s treasure troll which was big in the 1990's. Dam’s animal trolls and Cooper’s giraffe trolls are on view.
Trolls come in various forms besides the most familiar shapes. Some are holiday-themed trolls like santa and elves. Others have been made to specifically attract a boy’s attention with action figure lines such as The Original Battle Trolls from Hasbro, Troll Warriors, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Trolls,
Two headed trolls made by Uneeda Company called Wish-niks were made in the 1960's. These included trolls with such themes as a Nurse-Nik, a Bride-Nik, and a Smart-Nik in cap and gown. I even spotted a double necked troll dressed in a satin and chenille outfit but missed seeing their three headed troll. They also had a case of the tiniest ones which were mostly pencil toppers.
We saw medical trolls, outer space trolls, caveman trolls, dinosaur trolls, and Wild West trolls. Other trolls stick out their tongues or make rude body noises when you squeeze their bellies. A famous troll is one that was made by Kern - a Rod Stewart look alike troll. It has been displayed on the Jay Leno Show.
Zelfs are trolls in disguise made by artist Trolflings. They have four fingers, four toes, big hair, and tails.
Outside, we saw the 10-foot troll mountain with two waterfalls that Sherry built. The trolls on it turned to stone when they were exposed to sunlight. You’ll also spot two vehicles, one of which is the Troll Mobile Museum, “Seven Wonders of the Troll World,” consisting of seven dioramas. It is taken to different events. The other, a blue Volkswagen Van, is for troll transport.
Another room is devoted to folk art from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. In Scandinavia, making troll dolls is a folk art. The Hippomoomin Troll was created by Tobe Jansson who is an illustrator, politician, and cartoonist. His troll is a popular character in Scandinavia and enjoys huge popularity in Japan. The Japanese have jets painted with Moomin all over them. There is a Moomin theme park in Finland. The figure has morphed over the years and now resembles a hippopotamus.
The Fauni trolls are extremely valuable. A company in Finland makes these troll dolls. At one point, they made Moonin dolls. Another troll is Oliver Snippi who lives in the troll forest. He is the mascot for Tivvy - TV Times, the British equivalent to TV Guide. He is a character in the magazine and on the BBC. The largest and most expensive troll in the museum is in this room and was produced by Fosse. It came from Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, the self-proclaimed troll capitol of the world.
Highlights include a troll wishing well, a walk through troll cave, and a stroll over the Three Billy Goats Gruff Bridge. Look for Rolf Ludberg’s watercolor paintings depicting the trolls near Sweden’s Indal River. His illustrations depict trolls enjoying life in complete harmony with nature.
Why is there a troll museum in Alliance? Sherry will tell you that although there are successful businesses in Alliance, the town’s downtown had declined in popularity. Since trolls like to hang out where the people aren’t, they were attracted to this part of town which has the museum.
Sherry is actively involved with the Camelot Community Project, which is an initiative by the Troll Hole Museum and her Arts for Alzheimer's to improve the downtown area of Alliance, Ohio. The key is to develop derelict and underused real estate in an attempt to beautify and revitalize the downtown area. One way is by creating an interactive public art installation with the theme of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Presently, a building in the form of a castle is being built for which Sherry is looking for a tenant. A shield with a coat of arms will be painted permanently on the building for each organization who makes a monetary donation toward completing this community improvement project.
A percentage of all sales at the Troll Hole and Art Emporium support local arts and charitable organizations like Arts for Alzheimer's.
DETAILS
Troll Hole is located at 228 E Main Street. Its telephone number is (330) 596-1157. Seeing the collection by guided tour lasts 45 minutes and is led by Sherry often dressed as Sigrid, a Huldru troll queen. Tours usually start within 10 minutes of arrival or can be joined in progress. After May 1, these take place from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. Winter hours for the Troll Hole are Friday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is Adults $10, seniors/students $8, children ages 5-11 $6, ages 3-4 $3, and ages two and younger, free.
FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Next door to the Troll Hole is a wonderful art museum dedicated to all cat breeds in various art forms. There is no other museum like it in the United States. It is operated by the Cat Fanciers’ Association’s Foundation (CFA) and has as its mission “to acquire and conserve the history of cats and to show the development of the Cat Fancy through the acquisition of fine art, artifacts, and literature.” It is a not-for-profit organization under the laws of the state of New York housed at the organization’s headquarters.
“It’s for art lovers who love cats,” said director Karen Lawrence.
The 5,000 square foot museum has been collecting for 27 years, but until six years ago, everything was in storage. In 2011, when the Cat Fanciers' Foundation moved to Alliance from Manasquan, New Jersey, they opened the Feline Historical Museum. Most of the collection has been from donations, particularly from one estate that left art, figures, and money. Items have come from all over the world but mostly from the United States and Great Britain.
The variety of cat art, sculptures, and figurines in this museum is amazing. Cabinets house such treasures as figurines from the Royal Doulton Company, Lladro, Staffordshire, and Lenox. One rare piece is “Pussy” by Royal Doulton which is a girl holding a cat. There are only five of these left in the world.
Big artworks line the wall ranging from original paintings to a lot of prints. Art fans will find oil, watercolors, black and white charcoals, and Panamanian molas. One was an 1810 etching using aqua tints. All deal with cats.
You will also discover Chinese paper cutting pictures of cats. This art developed shortly after the introduction of paper during the Eastern Han Dynasty 25 A.D. TO 230 A.D. It uses small, sharp scissors to make an intricate design to decorate doors and windows. A Chinese headrest in cat form and a Chinese room tile is also here.
Having some of my own, I loved the case filled with their Swarovski glass cat collection. They also show glass cats made by Lalique, Waterford, and Lenox.
It was easy to spot early advertisers using cats in their ads such as Jell-O and one dated 1900 from Ivory Soap. Louis Wain’s cartoon picture “Where’s that Bird?” brought smiles to Earl and me.
In one room, you will find numerous modern and antique Maneki Neko cats ranging from a quarter inch to 30 inches tall. Known as the Japanese welcoming or beckoning cats, all have an arm up. The museum has a collection of 200, one of the nation’s largest public displays.
They are normally made of ceramic but come in a variety of other materials such as wood, porcelain, paper mache, plastic, and metal. Jade and ivory are usually intricately carved. You’ll see them in a large variety of colors and sizes with the tricolor pattern being the most common. Decoration ranges from simple to ornate. Almost all have a collar tied around their neck with red being the most common color for this decoration. Most are in a sitting position though some recline.
Maneki Neko history dates to the Japanese Edo Period from 1603 to 1867 in Japan with the first actual documentation from Japan’s Meiji era during the 1870's. The exact origins aren’t known, but legends and folklore tales surround this cat’s early days. These sculptures are found at shops, restaurants, and other business entrances throughout the world.
In their temporary room, one hundred plates with pictures of cats were displayed. All had the names of manufacturers on their backs. Shown were ones from France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands as well as ones from the Franklin Mint and Danbury Mint. Some were miniature while others were full sized. The room’s theme changes every few months.
A third room contained cat dolls in period costumes in velvet, knits, brocade, etc. The museum has 100 dolls displayed with over another 100 in storage. Three exhibited were French marionettes without their strings while one doll represented Cinderella. The room also houses a variety of cat themed music boxes that actually played.
Back in the main room, we saw a one-of-a-kind piece, a cat house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954 for the Gerald Tonkens’ cat in Cincinnati. It has a flat roof for sunbathing, a flagpole, and a string of bells and a colorful ball dangling from its eaves. The four-foot-square wood piece is painted in a bright Cherokee red. Alongside it sits its architectural plans drawn by Wright’s apprentice, Thomas Olson.
The main room also displays a cat teapot collection, a collection of cat cookie jars, and a Siamese collection. Visitors will find rotating breed exhibits tracing the development of the various breeds of pedigreed cats.
From time to time, visitors will meet live cats ranging from a Ragdoll to a Maine Coon at the museum. If you are interested in seeing a live animal, it is wise to call ahead.
Look for signage on the origins of cats as they originated in Egypt and then traveled to Asia, Europe, and the Americas. There are historic medals, trophies, and other memorabilia from Cat Fancy history throughout the world. One artifact is a pewter trophy awarded at the Boston Cat Club Show in 1883.
In 1906, the Cat Fanciers' Association was formed. It recognized six breeds at this time. They were Abyssinian, Burmese, Manx, Persian, Russian Blue, and Siamese. Today the association acknowledges 42 breeds. They are the largest registering body of pedigreed cats in the world.
Besides art, the museum has a non lending research library housing 7,000 cat books. These date as far back as 1864. Their magazine archives dates from 1913. An extensive children’s library of 1,500 books was recently added.
DETAILS
The Feline Historical Museum is located at 260 East Main Street. Their telephone number is (330) 680-4444. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. There is no admission fee, but donations are accepted.
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Alliance is a city located, about 18 miles east of Canton Ohio. It’s surprising to find a one of a kind museum in such a place. However, Alliance has two. The Troll Hole Museum, according to the Guinness Book of Records, contains the largest collection of trolls in the nation. The Feline Historical Foundation is dedicated solely to combining cats and the arts. It’s a place that cat lovers like me only dream about.
THE TROLL HOLE
On October 26, 2012, Sherry Groom, proprietor of the Troll Hole, set the Guinness World Record for the largest troll assemblage with 2,990 dolls. Her collection has continued to grow, almost on a daily basis, and now houses more than 7,000 unique dolls along with over 20,000 memorabilia items. She is in the process of updating her record with Guinness and has hired an intern to curate the dolls she has now.
Sherry started her collection when she was given a troll doll for Christmas at age five. A big reader of the Classics, she learned trolls have been part of Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore starting with the Norwegian Prose Edda book. Since they represented fairy and folk tales, she wanted to collect them.
Six years ago, when she owned 2,000 troll dolls, she took stock of her collection that she had obtained since the late 1990s, the years when the troll market crashed. She started searching for them at garage sales, secondhand shops, and antique stores. She bought out the inventory of Trolling Around, a former museum and gift shop in Whitman, Massachusetts that had been collected by its owner, Lisa Kerner. Kerner was so into trolls that she had a troll themed wedding complete with a troll cake topping. In March 2014, Sherry opened the Troll Hole.
After the museum opened, an article appeared about her collection in the Akron Beacon Journal which was picked up by the Associated Press. People started mailing Sherry trolls - sometimes one, sometimes their whole collection which they wanted to be seen by others. The largest amount sent was 4,000 trolls by a young man from Pittsburgh who had kept them in his parents’ garage.
TROLLS
To understand this museum, it helps to know what trolls are and the history of troll dolls. “Trolls are legendary magical creatures that bewitch people. That is why they’re so popular,” said Sherry.
They originated when the Gods Thor and Odom got into a fight with the ice giant Ymir who was slain. Out of Ymir’s body came maggots. The light maggots were pixies, elves, and gnomes while the dark maggots were trolls and bad fairies. All populated the world.
Trolls live in isolated lakes, forests, and mountains. They only come out at night since exposure to sunlight turns them into stone. Those living in the mountains hide their treasures, composed mainly of gold and silver, in their homes.
Based on Scandinavian folklore belief, lightning frightens trolls away. The ringing of church bells causes them to leave for other lands, though not without resistance. They aren’t Christians and have been known to destroy churches under construction and throw boulders and stones at completed churches.
Many are giants. Bigfoot has been called a troll. Others are humanoid in form except for their tails. Those are mostly naked so people can see their tails. However, at other times, they do wear clothing.
In the beginning, the word troll meant someone evil. However, the meaning has evolved into something friendlier. That the dolls are good luck charms has contributed to their popularity.
TROLL DOLLS
Thomas Dam, a Danish fisherman and talented woodcrafter created the first troll dolls. His wife encouraged him to sell them door-to-door which led to a job making large Christmas displays for a department store window in 1959. From this display, customers sought to buy his troll dolls which led to him opening a factory. His dolls, first made from wood, soon had bodies of rubber stuffed with wood shavings. They were made later of soft rubber then of heavy duty vinyl. Clothing was often riveted to the bodies. Eyes were made of glass. They had a mark on the bottom of their foot. Sometimes it was a date when the mold was made.
While trolls were historically portrayed as having ugly features, Dam took their wrinkled faces, oversized ears, and bulbous noses, and actually made them adorable. By the end of the 1950's, he was selling more than 10,000 trolls in Denmark each year.
Dam’s first dolls had hair made from Icelandic wool dyed white, black, or orange. It was glued to the top of the dolls’ heads providing for a bushy, wild look. The dolls were so popular that in 1964, Dam had to buy Iceland’s entire wool harvest for that year. Eventually his company, Dam Things, switched to synthetic hair.
Dam dolls are regarded by collectors as being the best of all troll dolls. They seek them out today as they have the most character, best clothing, and are of the highest quality. Troll merchandise is sought out also - sheets, blankets, jewelry, costumes, games, books, and gift wrap are only a few examples.
By the early 1960's, the interest in trolls was huge internationally. Unfortunately, for Dam, his lack of a copyright and the dolls’ popularity led to many companies making knock-off trolls with names like Wish-niks, Fauni Trolls, and Lucky Shnooks. Low-quality trolls flooded the market in the mid 1960's, leading to a decline in their popularity after 1966.
While Dam lost his creation to the public domain in the United States, his company continued in Europe. After the first wave of popularity, interest in the dolls died out until the 1980's. At that time, a marketing executive, Eva Stark, imported large numbers of Dam’s dolls referring to them as Norfin dolls.
A second period for trolls rose in the early 1990s, and they were found in every toy store and gift shop. After Thomas Dam died in 1989, new laws were passed in 1994 despite the Uneeda Doll Company’s (manufacturer of Wish-niks troll dolls) challenge. This allowed Dam Things to sue copycat manufacturers and eventually win worldwide rights to the troll doll image.
In 2013, Dream Works purchased the worldwide rights. They produced a musical comedy with Justin Timberlake as the executive musical producer. When it was released, the song “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” from the soundtrack, topped the charts in 15 countries. That was not the only film in which trolls appear. One with pink hair and a blue bathing suit had a minor role in all three Disney Toy Story films.
Hasbro, a well-known toy company, has released a new line of troll dolls. While their large heads and stubby bodies resemble the original ones from the 1960's, their facial features are not as oversized or wrinkly. Their bodies are huggable plush.
TROLL HOLE TOUR
The first room you enter is the gift shop selling vintage and recent trolls, garden art, metal art, local artwork, and souvenirs for sale. It even has troll themed candies. Next stop at their Grumpy Hole Café for coffee and teas, pastries, gourmet chocolates, soup, and Belgian waffles.
The tour starts upstairs. Your first image will fill you with amazement since every corner is covered with troll memorabilia. You can see troll tears (rainbow colored candies), troll breath mints, and troll toes (cinnamon-covered pecans). Scandinavian trolls, Smoky Mountain trolls, and troll costumed jewelry are also visible.
You’ll pass Sigrid’s Workshop where troll dolls receive minor repairs. Nearby is a full sized Poppy heroine from the Troll movie. We learned at this point that if the trolls are unique, Sherry adds them to the collection. If they’re not, she orphans them out or puts them in custom clothes. We saw two of them in African saris. One, from California, had a Palm Tree growing out of its head. A third had tattoos.
Troll themed art is also displayed. These range from a troll house to an African sculpture where the trolls have moved in. We even spotted ceramic trolls including pink ones that Sherry said scattered one day throughout the room on their own. This area has kids’ activities ranging from having their pictures taken inside a troll-based photo op to coloring of trolls.
Sherry is planning two new exhibits. One is a Troll Football Hall of Fame with trolls dressed as players, referees, and cheerleaders. Via a social media campaign, a football hall of fame player will become a troll. There will even be a Troll Bowl. The other is a Rock and Troll Hall of Fame. Justin Timberlake will be the first inductee.
Entering the next room, we saw a Trump troll doll and trolls from various movies such as Frozen and Boxtrolls. On display is a large map of Scandinavia since this is where the folklore started.
We learned trolls have certain characteristics. They all have elongated noses, oversized ears, four fingers and toes, and tails. Over a year, a troll can look like many different things - even humans.
The next room displays the economic impact of trolls. The Dam Company put out extensive merchandise after the Trolls movie was launched with an international franchise campaign taking place. Macy’s sold the largest number of items ranging from clothing for all ages to children’s toys. They even created a Princess Poppy’s tiara worth $750,000.
Troll toys appeared in Burger King and McDonald’s children’s meals. Jell-O made troll molds while Kraft created macaroni and cheese shaped trolls. The Dollar Store sold a troll child’s lawn chair. Wal Mart’s coverage was huge with troll lotions, shampoos, hairbrushes, and toothbrushes. Even Petco carried troll items.
The Crypto Zoology Room is next. It contains a troll hunter field station similar to the one in the Netflix movie Troll Hunter. Here we met with cryptologist Mark A. Hall, who advised us that Bigfoot sightings are really trolls. The room displays a troll molar, a troll toenail and a rare hunting rake used to trap birds and small game. Troll toothbrushes look like little brooms.
In the next room, David McDowell, Troll Hole’s resident artist, took over our tour from Sherry. A diorama depicts a forest landscape with 50 different trolls in plain sight - some large and some small. We learned about the three types of trolls. Mountain trolls are the size of mountains or live in mountains. They are the largest and dumbest. Huldrus are forest trolls that look most like humans. Males have tails and big noses and ears. The women are beautiful and hide their tails under dresses so people don’t know they’re trolls. They live underneath the ground in villages. Water trolls hang in and around the water.
We viewed Smoky Mountain trolls. The boys have four tufts of hair while the girls have two. Then we spotted the Dam dolls and were reminded of the characteristics of these trolls. Looking inside the mountain, we noticed the treasures Sherry had talked about in a gold lined cave.
In the next room, most of the troll dolls are duplicates. Looking in the closet, you can spot a vignette of a girl’s bedroom from the late 1980's complete with troll sheets, a troll chair, troll wall hangings, and a troll Barbie. Next to the real Barbie dolls, trolls are the second most purchased toy.
We headed downstairs to see the doll collection of which no two are alike. A difference may be as small as eye color. They are sorted by manufacturer and era. They are mostly on shelves from floor to ceiling with every inch covered. You’ll see ones from Ross Berrie and Company. With their market peaking in 1993, they were the most successful financially of all the troll companies. The company was expert at cross marketing doing trolls for football and baseball teams, holidays, and storybook characters.
David also pointed out Ace Novelty’s treasure troll which was big in the 1990's. Dam’s animal trolls and Cooper’s giraffe trolls are on view.
Trolls come in various forms besides the most familiar shapes. Some are holiday-themed trolls like santa and elves. Others have been made to specifically attract a boy’s attention with action figure lines such as The Original Battle Trolls from Hasbro, Troll Warriors, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Trolls,
Two headed trolls made by Uneeda Company called Wish-niks were made in the 1960's. These included trolls with such themes as a Nurse-Nik, a Bride-Nik, and a Smart-Nik in cap and gown. I even spotted a double necked troll dressed in a satin and chenille outfit but missed seeing their three headed troll. They also had a case of the tiniest ones which were mostly pencil toppers.
We saw medical trolls, outer space trolls, caveman trolls, dinosaur trolls, and Wild West trolls. Other trolls stick out their tongues or make rude body noises when you squeeze their bellies. A famous troll is one that was made by Kern - a Rod Stewart look alike troll. It has been displayed on the Jay Leno Show.
Zelfs are trolls in disguise made by artist Trolflings. They have four fingers, four toes, big hair, and tails.
Outside, we saw the 10-foot troll mountain with two waterfalls that Sherry built. The trolls on it turned to stone when they were exposed to sunlight. You’ll also spot two vehicles, one of which is the Troll Mobile Museum, “Seven Wonders of the Troll World,” consisting of seven dioramas. It is taken to different events. The other, a blue Volkswagen Van, is for troll transport.
Another room is devoted to folk art from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. In Scandinavia, making troll dolls is a folk art. The Hippomoomin Troll was created by Tobe Jansson who is an illustrator, politician, and cartoonist. His troll is a popular character in Scandinavia and enjoys huge popularity in Japan. The Japanese have jets painted with Moomin all over them. There is a Moomin theme park in Finland. The figure has morphed over the years and now resembles a hippopotamus.
The Fauni trolls are extremely valuable. A company in Finland makes these troll dolls. At one point, they made Moonin dolls. Another troll is Oliver Snippi who lives in the troll forest. He is the mascot for Tivvy - TV Times, the British equivalent to TV Guide. He is a character in the magazine and on the BBC. The largest and most expensive troll in the museum is in this room and was produced by Fosse. It came from Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, the self-proclaimed troll capitol of the world.
Highlights include a troll wishing well, a walk through troll cave, and a stroll over the Three Billy Goats Gruff Bridge. Look for Rolf Ludberg’s watercolor paintings depicting the trolls near Sweden’s Indal River. His illustrations depict trolls enjoying life in complete harmony with nature.
Why is there a troll museum in Alliance? Sherry will tell you that although there are successful businesses in Alliance, the town’s downtown had declined in popularity. Since trolls like to hang out where the people aren’t, they were attracted to this part of town which has the museum.
Sherry is actively involved with the Camelot Community Project, which is an initiative by the Troll Hole Museum and her Arts for Alzheimer's to improve the downtown area of Alliance, Ohio. The key is to develop derelict and underused real estate in an attempt to beautify and revitalize the downtown area. One way is by creating an interactive public art installation with the theme of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Presently, a building in the form of a castle is being built for which Sherry is looking for a tenant. A shield with a coat of arms will be painted permanently on the building for each organization who makes a monetary donation toward completing this community improvement project.
A percentage of all sales at the Troll Hole and Art Emporium support local arts and charitable organizations like Arts for Alzheimer's.
DETAILS
Troll Hole is located at 228 E Main Street. Its telephone number is (330) 596-1157. Seeing the collection by guided tour lasts 45 minutes and is led by Sherry often dressed as Sigrid, a Huldru troll queen. Tours usually start within 10 minutes of arrival or can be joined in progress. After May 1, these take place from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. Winter hours for the Troll Hole are Friday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is Adults $10, seniors/students $8, children ages 5-11 $6, ages 3-4 $3, and ages two and younger, free.
FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Next door to the Troll Hole is a wonderful art museum dedicated to all cat breeds in various art forms. There is no other museum like it in the United States. It is operated by the Cat Fanciers’ Association’s Foundation (CFA) and has as its mission “to acquire and conserve the history of cats and to show the development of the Cat Fancy through the acquisition of fine art, artifacts, and literature.” It is a not-for-profit organization under the laws of the state of New York housed at the organization’s headquarters.
“It’s for art lovers who love cats,” said director Karen Lawrence.
The 5,000 square foot museum has been collecting for 27 years, but until six years ago, everything was in storage. In 2011, when the Cat Fanciers' Foundation moved to Alliance from Manasquan, New Jersey, they opened the Feline Historical Museum. Most of the collection has been from donations, particularly from one estate that left art, figures, and money. Items have come from all over the world but mostly from the United States and Great Britain.
The variety of cat art, sculptures, and figurines in this museum is amazing. Cabinets house such treasures as figurines from the Royal Doulton Company, Lladro, Staffordshire, and Lenox. One rare piece is “Pussy” by Royal Doulton which is a girl holding a cat. There are only five of these left in the world.
Big artworks line the wall ranging from original paintings to a lot of prints. Art fans will find oil, watercolors, black and white charcoals, and Panamanian molas. One was an 1810 etching using aqua tints. All deal with cats.
You will also discover Chinese paper cutting pictures of cats. This art developed shortly after the introduction of paper during the Eastern Han Dynasty 25 A.D. TO 230 A.D. It uses small, sharp scissors to make an intricate design to decorate doors and windows. A Chinese headrest in cat form and a Chinese room tile is also here.
Having some of my own, I loved the case filled with their Swarovski glass cat collection. They also show glass cats made by Lalique, Waterford, and Lenox.
It was easy to spot early advertisers using cats in their ads such as Jell-O and one dated 1900 from Ivory Soap. Louis Wain’s cartoon picture “Where’s that Bird?” brought smiles to Earl and me.
In one room, you will find numerous modern and antique Maneki Neko cats ranging from a quarter inch to 30 inches tall. Known as the Japanese welcoming or beckoning cats, all have an arm up. The museum has a collection of 200, one of the nation’s largest public displays.
They are normally made of ceramic but come in a variety of other materials such as wood, porcelain, paper mache, plastic, and metal. Jade and ivory are usually intricately carved. You’ll see them in a large variety of colors and sizes with the tricolor pattern being the most common. Decoration ranges from simple to ornate. Almost all have a collar tied around their neck with red being the most common color for this decoration. Most are in a sitting position though some recline.
Maneki Neko history dates to the Japanese Edo Period from 1603 to 1867 in Japan with the first actual documentation from Japan’s Meiji era during the 1870's. The exact origins aren’t known, but legends and folklore tales surround this cat’s early days. These sculptures are found at shops, restaurants, and other business entrances throughout the world.
In their temporary room, one hundred plates with pictures of cats were displayed. All had the names of manufacturers on their backs. Shown were ones from France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands as well as ones from the Franklin Mint and Danbury Mint. Some were miniature while others were full sized. The room’s theme changes every few months.
A third room contained cat dolls in period costumes in velvet, knits, brocade, etc. The museum has 100 dolls displayed with over another 100 in storage. Three exhibited were French marionettes without their strings while one doll represented Cinderella. The room also houses a variety of cat themed music boxes that actually played.
Back in the main room, we saw a one-of-a-kind piece, a cat house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954 for the Gerald Tonkens’ cat in Cincinnati. It has a flat roof for sunbathing, a flagpole, and a string of bells and a colorful ball dangling from its eaves. The four-foot-square wood piece is painted in a bright Cherokee red. Alongside it sits its architectural plans drawn by Wright’s apprentice, Thomas Olson.
The main room also displays a cat teapot collection, a collection of cat cookie jars, and a Siamese collection. Visitors will find rotating breed exhibits tracing the development of the various breeds of pedigreed cats.
From time to time, visitors will meet live cats ranging from a Ragdoll to a Maine Coon at the museum. If you are interested in seeing a live animal, it is wise to call ahead.
Look for signage on the origins of cats as they originated in Egypt and then traveled to Asia, Europe, and the Americas. There are historic medals, trophies, and other memorabilia from Cat Fancy history throughout the world. One artifact is a pewter trophy awarded at the Boston Cat Club Show in 1883.
In 1906, the Cat Fanciers' Association was formed. It recognized six breeds at this time. They were Abyssinian, Burmese, Manx, Persian, Russian Blue, and Siamese. Today the association acknowledges 42 breeds. They are the largest registering body of pedigreed cats in the world.
Besides art, the museum has a non lending research library housing 7,000 cat books. These date as far back as 1864. Their magazine archives dates from 1913. An extensive children’s library of 1,500 books was recently added.
DETAILS
The Feline Historical Museum is located at 260 East Main Street. Their telephone number is (330) 680-4444. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. There is no admission fee, but donations are accepted.
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Pink Trolls That Once Scattered Around the Room by Themselves
Life-sized Trolls
Poppy Troll Wall Hanging
Forest Troll
Smoky Mountain Trolls
A Dam Troll
A Variety of Trolls
Lisa Kerner's Wedding Cake Topping
Sherry's Dog Lady Lying on the Bed in the Little Girl's Bedroom
Certificate Showing Guinness World Record for Largest Troll Collection
Trolls from Floor to Ceiling
Baseball Trolls
David McDowell Holding Cooper Giraffe Trolls
Two Headed Troll Dolls
Rod Stewart Troll Doll
Zelfs Made by the Artist Trolflings
One of Rolf Ludberg's Paintings of Trolls
Moonin Doll - Popular in Scandinavia and Japan
Mr. Snippi - A Character In TIVVY, the British Equivalent to TV Guide
Sherry's Most Valuable Troll
Christmas Trolls
Overall of Feline Historical Society Museum
Pewter Cats
Panamanian Mola
Chinese Paper Cutting
A Jell-O Cat Ad
Maneki Neko Cats from Japan
More Maneki Neko Cats
Miniature Cat Plates
Three Musketeers - French Doll, Former Marionette Now Without Strings
Another French Cat Doll
Frank Lloyd Wright Cat House
"Pussy" by Royal Doulton, One of Five Left in the World
Untitled, Bronze of a Black Cat
Cat Cookie Jars