When I Saw Her Standing There

A group of exhibited dolls from the collection of Marjorie Loring Gauley

An online doll friend solicited my help in finding a museum or another organization to donate her Black-doll collection. She shared a link to photos of some of the dolls when they were displayed in a past exhibit.

In one of the pictures (shown above), I saw a doll that interested me. I asked for more information about it. At that time, the dolls were packed and stored. She promised to share the information later.

At one point, before making the decision to donate the collection, I attempted to help her sell some of the dolls. After the decision to donate, I shared the names of a couple of individuals who are involved in organizations that work with children. One of her goals was for the dolls to be enjoyed by children. The main goal was to keep the small collection together.

After communicating with one of the two people I recommended, Marjorie Loring Gauley chose to donate the dolls to Karen Oyekanmi's American Black Beauty Dolls Association.

After this decision was made, Marjie asked for my mailing address. She wanted to send me the doll that I saw standing on the far right in the first picture of this post. This pleased me beyond measure. I gave her my PO Box address.

A couple of weeks later, in an email, Marjie explained that while attempting to ship the doll through a UPS Store, she could not use my PO Box address. My physical address was required, which she didn't have and had no way of getting from me at the time she needed it. In her words, this is what happened next:

I checked to see if I had a phone number for you so that I might obtain an alternate address. In contacts a phone number showed in pale print with your other information saying that Siri thinks this number might be yours. I called it and Karen’s name popped up as she is in my contacts so I cut the call right away.

But in this day and age, she of course, saw the call and called me right back. I explained that the call had been an accident and explained the situation and she provided me with your contact information... Karen and I ended by agreeing with her observation that the call was God running interference to smooth the way, no accident after all. I hope you concur.

I replied and agreed that this was indeed divine intervention. As confirmation of the divine intervention that occurred, had I not shared Karen as a possible recipient of Marjie's collection, or had Marjie chosen the other person I suggested—who does not have my physical address or any of my contact information, in fact, I don't think she knows me—the shipping issue would have been prolonged.) Yes, God was certainly in the mix from start to finish.

A doll with such a sweet face will forever remind me of how God's grace reveals itself through the kind acts of others.

The lovely doll that I had no information about arrived safely. I opened the box, and before removing her, hoping she was not porcelain, I blindly touched her face and discovered that she is painted cloth. Cindi Ciampa made this beautiful doll.

With the doll, Marjie included a beautiful Annie Lee Shades of Color note card titled "Sunday Evening Radio." The front of the card and her handwritten inscription are shared next.

The Annie Lee note card, "Sunday Evening Radio" features a pre-television era family seated in their living room or parlor listening to the radio.

Marjie wrote a touching inscription.

The additional information that I have gathered about the doll and the artist is included in the doll's installation in DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum. Read it here.

Thank you, again, Marjie for your kind and generous gift of Grace, which is the name I have given her. I am honored and feel truly blessed to be Grace's new owner.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

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