If you're ever driving through the Kentucky town of Elliottville and come across a house intricately decorated with babydolls in various stages of decay, don't be alarmed. While the site may look like something out of a horror movie, it is actually the Home For Wayward Babydolls, and you shouldn't be afraid. This place is the residence of Cecil and Bet Ison, and the Home For Wayward Babydolls gives discarded and abused dolls a chance to have a new life.
It may look spooky, but think of the Home For Wayward Babydolls as a new beginning for misunderstood objects.
Cecil Ison calls his property a forensic anthropomorphology facility, where he collects abandoned and abused babydolls, and studies their decay process to try to get idea of what has happened to them in the past.
The dolls are arranged in various ways all over the property. People have sent old babydolls to the Home from all over from all over the country. Some people simply leave unwanted dolls there for the Isons to discover.
People ask, "is this science or is this art?" On their Facebook page, the Isons said they're not really sure, but perhaps it is both.
But why? How did this babydoll collection come to be?
Cecil Ison was chief archaeologist for the Daniel Boone National Forest, and would often find old, abandoned babydolls in terrible shape while he was working. As an archaeologist, he was curious about how such objects ended up discarded in the woods, dirtied and broken. He started collecting babydoll parts he found, and that's essentially how the Home For Wayward Babydolls came to be.
They even have a family of mannequins that relax on their porch.
And there are smaller friends hiding more out of sight.
They sometimes dress or arrange the dolls to celebrate holidays or the seasons, like these folks who are ready for autumn...
...and this patriotic guy celebrating the 4th of July.
Or these dolls, who are excited for the Christmas season.
While Cecil does study patterns of decay and other traits of the dolls to try to learn about their life before the Home For Wayward Babydolls, he also appreciates turning various other discarded objects into works of art, like these old Altoid containers.
Just because something is thrown away, doesn't mean it can't be repurposed and given a new lease on life.
It's important to remember that Cecil and Bet Ison do live here, so please be respectful and do not trespass or show up unannounced. If you want to visit the Home For Wayward Babydolls, visit their Facebook page and send them a message. You can also find out more information about their history, the Home, and what they do there by reading through their FAQs. If you do arrange a visit, you might be asked to paint or gourd or something along those lines. Just think of it as adding your own piece of art to the Home For Wayward Babydolls.
Has anyone ever visited or passed by the Home For Wayward Babydolls before?
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