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8
In a time with no computers, video games, or
iPhones, kids used their imaginations and creativity
rather than their parents' money. Anna Bell Rych-
lik, or Ann, grew up in this period, but the imagi-
nation and inventiveness she expressed was beyond
description. One of six kids, Ann's father died at a
young age, so her mother raised them by working at
the Texas A&M library. Money was tight, and Ann's
family had very little, so, in second grade, she began
drawing and designing paper dolls on the backs of
lined paper and homework.
Priceless Pieces of Paper
During the Depression era, paper dolls were com-
mon entertainment for young girls, but Ann's
were not store bought, nor did she just create
dolls. Ann made characters with a name and a
story. Each doll had numerous outfits and acces-
sories, such as wedding dresses, Halloween cos-
tumes, skiing outfits, day dresses, men's uniforms,
purses, gloves, headbands, and shoes. She even
had romances between some of her dolls. For ex-
ample, she wrote love letters between "Veronica"
and "Slim," who was serving in the war.
In Ann's diary, she wrote, "In the second grade
I was drawing when I should have been doing
something else. Later I drew paper dolls. I loved
to do that because the paper dolls could have all
the things I wanted and couldn't have."
Little Treasures Tucked Away
Between the dolls, outfits, accessories and stories, it is
clear Ann had a true gift. Unfortunately, Ann's talent
never advanced further than her dolls. In September
2002, Ann passed away, and her family discovered
the paper dolls while cleaning out her house. Her son,
Gary, said he knew about the dolls but never really
looked at them. He knew his mom sewed clothes, in-
cluding Barbie and dolls' clothes, and she talked about
being a fashion designer, but he guessed life just got
in the way. Instead, Ann spent her life as a telephone
operator taking care of her family.

Since then, Gary and his wife, Carol, have collected
over 1,350 of Ann's drawings. Another family mem-
ber has around 1,500, and more boxes have not yet
been sorted through. Carol spent numerous hours
sorting through boxes of dolls and matching each doll
with its outfits and accessories. She is currently scan-
ning them to create a book for all the family members.
Carol says she values these priceless works of art, and
she is saddened that Ann was never able to advance
her talent. Somehow, she is hoping to publish or
showcase scans of these paper doll masterpieces.
Regardless, however, she says the dolls
will stay in the family because
that's what Ann would
have wanted.
By Brittany Gordon