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Photo by Drew Fleming Nancy Korsak of Vancouver, Wash., examines Marybel, a 1950s doll owned by Becky Peterson of Medford. Known as "Nurse Nancy," Korsak brought her doll-restoration services to an antique show at the Medford Armory Sunday. Nurse Nancy makes dolls well `Rembrandt of doll restoration' does her magic at antique show By JONEL ALECCIA After nearly 50 years of use, abuse and little-girl love, Marybel, "the doll that gets well," finally got in Sunday to see the nurse. Her owner, Becky Peterson of Medford, figured that the 1950s doll that came with crutches, bandages and tiny plastic casts was a prime candidate for "Nurse Nancy" at the Country Heart Promotions Winter Antique Show. That would be Nancy Korsak, a Vancouver, Wash., woman who has spent 25 years making old dolls like Peterson's look new again. In Peterson's case, the prescription was simple, said Korsak, 51. Marybel just needed a good cleaning to remove decades of smudges from her vinyl skin and a nice shampoo to restore her blond locks' luster. Ditto for Cissette, a molded plastic doll made by Madame Alexander. "I'm sure I took her dress off," said Peterson, 48, who was among some 2,300 people who visited the antique show at the Medford armory over the weekend. Peterson came first on Saturday and then returned on Sunday, toting the dolls in their cracked and torn carrying case, hoping that Korsak could help. No problem, said Korsak, who bills herself as "America's Rembrandt of doll restoration." For about $150, Korsak said she could clean and refurbish the dolls to mint condition. All spruced up, Cissette could sell to a collector for about $425; Marybel and her hospital accessories might go for $625. "Good grief!" said Peterson. Peterson was among dozens of local folks, mostly women, who lined up with dolls of every kind and every kind of injury to seek the services of Korsak and partner Mary Connelly. By contrast, Peterson's dolls were simple patients. "Usually, it's much worse," Korsak said. "Usually, the porcelain ones are in pieces, the ceramic ones are cracked and broken." Most of the work of doll restoration is tedious, said Korsak. Cleaning must be done carefully, so not to remove the bloom from hand-painted faces. After years tucked in drawers and attics, many of the dolls are fragile. And it can be difficult to research and reproduce authentic fashions to clothe the dolls. But despite the degree of debilitation, the owners of the dolls aren't about to give them up. Even as adults, they're very attached to the playthings of their youth, said Korsak, who is still drawn to her own childhood toys. "When we were little girls, these were our babies," she explained. "We did everything with them. We have these emotional attachments to them." One of the best things about her work, Korsak said, is the look on the faces of doll owners when they get their "babies" back. "I have these 80- and 90-year-old ladies and they'll just bawl," she says. Some owners sell their refurbished dolls. But most, like Peterson, are reluctant, despite the attractive price. "I don't know if I'd sell them," said Peterson, who received the dolls as gifts from her grandparents. "I know," said Korsak, smiling sympathetically. "It can be like betraying a friend." Nurse Nancy's Doll Hospital can be reached at (360) 573-3321. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA