For more than two decades, the iconic red paper dolls statue has stood guard at the entrance to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
The nearly 9-foot-tall, 1,500-pound, aluminum sculpture has served as the logo for the hospital since 1971.
It wasn’t until the freestanding hospital was built in 2004 that the logo was prominently displayed.
On Sept. 1, Joslin and Sons Signs will carefully remove the paper dolls from their perch for a much-needed update.
Teams expect the removal to take about two hours as workers unbolt the statue from the base, hoist it onto a flatbed truck and transport it to the business for an intensive two-week rehabilitation.
“Once in our shop, we will carefully disassemble and inspect it,” said Mike Cameron with Joslin Signs, a historic sign company known for prominent sign projects in Nashville. “The refurbishment process will involve straightening the panels, sanding the surface and creating templates for newly fabricated side covers.
“The sign will then be prepped and painted in a high-gloss finish, and the interior will be rewired and repopulated with high-efficiency LED modules to produce a clean, bright glow around the entire silhouette at night.”
Once the rehab is complete, the paper dolls will be returned to the base, powered up and resume their duties of welcoming patients, families and visitors to Monroe Carell.
The paper dolls are expected to be reinstalled Sept. 15.
Did You Know?
Carole Nelson recalls drafting the images more than 50 years ago.
During a meeting of what would become Friends of Monroe Carell, a volunteer member began sketching a design that would become the symbol of one of the nation’s premier comprehensive pediatric facilities.
“I was sitting on the floor during our meeting and remember saying that we needed to figure out a logo,” said Nelson. “I reached in my purse and grabbed a deposit slip.
“The first thing I drew,” Nelson giggled. “I was trying to put a skirt on the little girl. I originally wanted it to be a little boy and girl side by side, and it just didn’t work. I started all over again, and as the meeting was ending, I showed them the stick figures I created. That is sort of how it all began.”
The original image incorporated bright yellow in the design. Over time the image of two children holding hands, the red paper dolls, grew to symbolize community support, healing and play.
The paper dolls, along with the Monroe Carell name, have become a symbol synonymous with the highest level of compassionate care both within the hospital and at various clinic sites across Tennessee.
