Instagram: Ipswich woman's doll collection has worldwide following
- Published
A woman who records the travels of a set of dolls on a social media page says she is amazed they have attracted a worldwide following.
Eileen Lam initially started Dolly Treasures on Instagram as a way of keeping in touch with her daughter when she went to university.
Almost 80,000 followers have seen her Blythe dolls in destinations from her hometown Ipswich to New York.
"It's wonderful, I had no idea that it would grow as it has," she said.
Mrs lam first started to post photos of dolls five years ago, and named the account after her daughter Bernadette, nicknamed Dolly.
She thought it had started to become a bit repetitive, so she started to take "the girls" out and they "became little characters".
Her family of dolls has grown to more than 100 and they have travelled all over the world to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Marbella and Paris, as well as staying closer to home in Suffolk.
"Many followers are all over the world and they love to see the English countryside, London and Suffolk," Mrs Lam said.
"If you're in China and you see England, it's fascinating - and the Americans love it too."
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The mother of two put Dolly Treasures' popularity down to its "light-hearted and playful" nature.
She said: "It makes people happy. It reminds them of their childhood, a day of innocence."
Mrs Lam, who used to make jewellery for Harrods, travels around the world to take photos of the dolls for her books The Little Mischiefs.
She has also created a display at Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop in Covent Garden and has featured on a podcast.
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Mrs Lam, who lives in Ipswich with her husband Peter, said she would continue for as long as people are interested.
"It's great fun and if you're creative, it's wonderful to have some way to express yourself and share it," she said.
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- Published1 September 2019
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