Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Utah Vernal First Lady Dolls

First Lady Dolls

An oddly specific collection of handmade dolls remembers the women of the White House.

Vernal, Utah

Added By
Daniel R. Thorne
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
First Lady Dolls at the Uintah County Library   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
First Lady Dolls at the Uintah County Library   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
First Lady Dolls at the Uintah County Library   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
  Mama Shotts / Atlas Obscura User
  Mama Shotts / Atlas Obscura User
  Mama Shotts / Atlas Obscura User
  Mama Shotts / Atlas Obscura User
  Mama Shotts / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Taking up three glass display cases in Uintah County Western Heritage Museum are resplendent dolls carved to look like almost every American First Lady. 

The doll collection was established in 1976 by a local group of women to celebrate the country's bicentennial. The group hired Salt Lake City sculptor Phyllis Juhlin Park to create porcelain likenesses of each of the First Ladies from Betsy Ross all the way up to Nancy Reagan (unfortunately Park retired before the latter ladies could be completed). The carved heads were then placed on sewn bodies that were filled with sawdust. The clothing each of the dolls wears is even patterned on an outfit the actual First Lady wore. Collecting dolls has never been this patriotic or this amazingly specific.   

Related Tags

Dolls Politics Museums

Community Contributors

Added By

danielrthorne

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson, jusTodd, JennyBenny, Mama Shotts

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • jusTodd
  • JennyBenny
  • Mama Shotts

Published

April 14, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://books.google.com/books?id=bXi0RNY7MmIC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=first+lady+dolls+vernal&source=bl&ots=BmeRCbMTXI&sig=tLRg5NdEaMYVnf5v0XNMRTjTVkw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fTB9Ut2PHpK-4APn-YCoAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=first%20lady%20dolls%20vernal&f=false
First Lady Dolls
155 E Main St
Vernal, Utah, 84078
United States
40.45576, -109.525735
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Dinah the Pink Dinosaur

Vernal, Utah

miles away

McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs

Vernal, Utah

miles away

Quarry Exhibit Hall

Jensen, Utah

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vernal

Vernal

Utah

Places 3

Nearby Places

Dinah the Pink Dinosaur

Vernal, Utah

miles away

McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs

Vernal, Utah

miles away

Quarry Exhibit Hall

Jensen, Utah

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vernal

Vernal

Utah

Places 3

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate List of Wonderfully Specific Museums

List

By Molly McBride Jacobson

15 Places in Utah that Prove the State is Weirder Than You Think

hidden

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • Objects made by incarcerated political prisoners.

    Belfast, Northern Ireland

    Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History Museum

    Documenting the nationalist movement in Northern Ireland, with an emphasis on the history of political prisoners.

  • The two-story museum has over 3000 haunted objects.

    Omaha, Nebraska

    The Museum of Shadows

    Haunted dolls, macabre artifacts, and more make up the collection of the “most haunted museum in the world.”

  • People’s History Museum

    Manchester, England

    People’s History Museum

    One of Manchester’s museums has gathered and preserved British political paraphernalia covering over 200 years.

  • A doll head dug up on the island in 1907.

    Beaver Island, Michigan

    Beaver Island Toy Museum

    On a remote island in the northern reaches of Lake Michigan, a museum of collectibles collides with a vintage toy store.

  • An exhibit of dolls from all around the world.

    Yokohama, Japan

    Yokohama Doll Museum

    Home to thousands of dolls from around the world, including the "blue-eyed dolls" that came to Japan as American ambassadors.

  • Country House

    Viciebsk, Belarus

    Zdravnevo

    The country estate of renowned Ukrainian-born artist Ilya Repin.

  • Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

    Washington, D.C.

    Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

    The final residence of an educator, civil rights leader, and presidential advisor was also the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women.

  • James K Polk Historic Site

    Pineville, North Carolina

    James K. Polk Historic Site

    These cabins mark the site where our 11th president was born (probably).

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.