Sydney’s doll hospital: 3 generations of doll repair

By Thea Breite From Boston.com

Sydney’s Doll Hospital has worked on millions of dolls, teddy bears and other toys since it opened in 1913. “Doll surgeons” transplant fingers, toes and heads, and repair broken eye sockets. The company has been handed down from three generations of the Chapman family.)

1 Limbs of dolls are shown as spare parts in a pile ready to be used in customers doll repairs at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, May 20, 2014. Opened in 1913, Sydney’s Doll Hospital has worked on millions of dolls, teddy bears and other toys. (Jason Reed/Reuters)

2 A young customer looks over the counter as a family member brings in a doll for repair at Sydney’s Doll Hospital May 20, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

3 Geoff Chapman, ‘Head Surgeon’ at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, in his workshop August 20, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

4 Kerry Stuart, a 25-year veteran at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, pulls the plastic head of a customers doll out of a bowl of hot water to soften the material before removing and replacing its old eyes, June 17, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

5 Kerry Stuart repairs a customer’s doll on her workbench, June 17, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

6 Gail Grainger, a 14-year veteran doll restorer adds fingers to a damaged dolls hand in her workshop at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, May 20, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

7 A damaged doll on a workbench after having its head re-attached by 25-year veteran doll repairer Kerry Stuart at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, July 15, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

8 Doll restorer Kerry Stuart rubs a filling compound into the cracked head of a plastic doll at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, July 15, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

9 Stuart matches a pair of eyes from her stock to be inserted into a customer’s doll undergoing repairs, June 17, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

10 Doll repairer Tamara Ottessen searches for replacement limbs on a customer’s doll in the workshop of Sydney’s Doll Hospital, July 12, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

11 A teddy bear in two pieces is pictured on the workshop floor at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, August 19, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

12 Doll restorers Gail Grainger (L) and Kerry Stuart inspect the head of a composition doll, made from compressed wood chip, in the workshop of Sydney’s Doll Hospital, July 15, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

13 A badly-weathered composition doll, made from compressed wood chip, has its flakey paint cut off before being repaired and repainted by Gail Grainger, a 14-year veteran doll repairer at Sydney’s Doll Hospital, August 19, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

14 The arms, legs and hands of composition dolls, made from compressed wood chip, are pictured hanging on a line as the paint dries in a workshop of Sydney’s Doll Hospital, June 17, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

15 A discarded doll against a wall in the workshop of Sydney’s Doll Hospital, May 20, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #

16 A trash can featuring discarded doll parts including a broken head, torso and limbs is pictured in the workshop of Sydney’s Doll Hospital, July 12, 2014. (Jason Reed/Reuters) #