Genevieve Roach says her identical-twin daughters, Judith Kaminski and Janet Pallo, didn’t play much with dolls and doll buggies when they were youngsters. Their big brother, four years older, set the lead for their play, and the girls grew up as tomboys.

Thirty-six years ago, the purchase of a wicker perambulator, or baby carriage, introduced the women to what they’d missed as young girls. That seminal acquisition from a Medina antique store set them on a course of collecting the finest examples of hand-crafted perambulators.

That collection grew into the Victorian Perambulator Museum, housed in a ranch-style home owned by Janet and her husband. The museum opened in the fall of 1988 with about 50 perambulators. They now own more than 200, about a quarter of which can’t be displayed because there’s no space left in the nine-room museum.

However, when something really special is added to the collection, they find room to show it off.

That scenario happened twice this spring. The first case involves the purchase of a rare “Emperor” perambulator made by the Gendron Company of Toledo in the 1890s. Standing 47 inches tall, this wicker buggy features an hourglass pattern on the sides and a curved wicker top. It has the original corduroy upholstery and metal wheels.

“It’s just a gorgeous piece,” says Kaminski. “We have never seen the likes of something like this. It’s just a magnificent piece.”

The perambulator is a fitting acquisition for their 20th anniversary – it took as long to acquire it. They first became aware of it through a friend who visited the museum on its inaugural day. The twins traveled to the Michigan amusement park to see it for themselves and make an offer to purchase.

Custom-built for a wealthy family, the perambulator was acquired by the amusement park’s owner when his four children were small and actually used it for the intended purpose. After his children outgrew the buggy, it found a third life as park decor and window dressing. It even did a three-week guest appearance at the museum shortly after the women made the acquaintance of its owner.

“We thought ‘It will never get back here again’ when it left,” Kaminski says.

Nevertheless, they they asked the owner to keep them in mind if he decided to sell. The distinctive perambulator never left th eir minds. “It’s something we dreamed about,” Kaminski says.

When they got the call earlier this year, it came as a very pleasant surprise. It had been six years since they’d had contact with the owner

“We were just delighted,” Kaminski says. “The owner said the reason he accepted (their interest) was because we were so persistent in getting it. He admired that.”

Works of art

Kaminski ranks the Emperor as one of the museum’s most expensive acquisitions. Topping the list is the Sultan, their rarest carriage. Built in the 1880s by F. A. Whitney, the carriage is completely original with rich upholstered brocade material throughout the interior. Two elaborate spiral posts decorate each side and complement the spiral design used in the wicker.