Portrait and still life photographer Craig Deane has created more than a dozen large-scale images of dolls from the V&A Museum of Childhood’s extensive collection which will go on display at the Museum from Friday 3 September.

Doll Face is a series of close-cropped, large-format portraits which confronts the audience with the essence of each doll. Returning the viewer’s gaze, their huge scale shows a great amount of detail which allows time to really study their fascinating faces.

Deane is interested in both the representation of the human form and the objects people surround themselves with. Mankind's desire to make images and objects in their own likeness stretches back to the dawn of civilisation and while dolls have traditionally been toys for children, they are also coveted by adults for their beauty, nostalgic value, and historical and financial importance. Deane is particularly interested in exploring the evolving representations we have made of ourselves - and given to our children to play with - as illustrated by the broad spectrum of dolls held in the 8000-strong collection at the Museum. The dolls photographed include beatnik CND dolls from the sixties and a pedlar doll with a leather face from 1830.

Deane has previously shown at Rencontres Internationale de la Photographie in Arles, France and has had an Artist's Residency in Alexandria, Egypt.

The oldest doll in the Museum’s collections comes from ancient Egypt and is over three thousand years old: it dates back to about 1300 BC. The Museum has dolls which speak, walk, blow kisses or play musical instruments. The largest doll on display is 73cm high. The Museum’s dolls are made from many different materials – rubber, prunes and mutton bones as well as the more usual cloth, wood, ceramic, plastic and wax.

V&A museum of Childhood