NAPPANEE — Jody Meek shares his small studio apartment in Nappanee with two dozen roommates — and none of them are complaining.

His quarters on East Lincoln Street across from Coppes Commons are cramped, but the current claustrophobic atmosphere — “it’s a small place for a big hobby” — does not stop him from “bringing the art of realistic mannequin display to the public as pure art” and expanding his collection of the dying breed of lifelike fashion models.

“Display art with realistic mannequins has all but disappeared from the urban landscape,” Meek wrote on his website, www.facebook.com/mannequinhouse1.

“As an artist and a collector, I am saddened by this fact. I found through doing public displays that many people feel the same as I do. That is why I have taken on the task of keeping this art form alive and bringing it to as many people as I can.”

Meek started collecting mannequins about four years ago while looking for a way to showcase the jewelry he has handcrafted for the past 15 years.

His first acquisition was Shadow, a mannequin made in the 1940s.

“A friend of mine had her and she was made up like a vampiress. I sent her to Georgia for some face work and makeup.” She is presently dressed in Goth fashion.

He has since added 20 more women mannequins, one girl, two men, two torsos “and a few spare body parts that I sell and trade.”

He also has “200 to 300 wardrobe pieces and shoes” and several dozen plastic totes of jewelry.

“They are hard to find for the average person but I network with other dealers,” said Meek. “A lot of us watch online for older legacy stores going out of business,” he said, lamenting the disappearance of the lifelike commercial displays.

Most of Meek’s mannequins are in fixed poses, though a few have some adjustability in the arms and legs. He does some of his own repair work but “the makeup takes a very special practiced hand and I send them out for that.”

When the weather cooperates, Meek poses much of his collection in his front yard.

“Sometimes I will do themes, like bathing suits in the summer or costumes on Halloween. I did vampires in the cemetery during the Apple Festival in 2019.”

The hobby is not cheap. Meek is awaiting shipment of a Joan Collins mannequin for which he paid $750. “You can pay a lot more,” he said.

His rarest find occurred “by pure chance” at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen when he spotted Tanya, manufactured in 1973.

“As far as we know, there are only two of this piece that exist in the world. The other is in the United Kingdom, but that collector does not take it out of his storeroom, so I have the only one to be publicly displayed.”

All mannequins are based on live human models, most of whom were employees or acquaintances of the manufacturer.

Meek does, however, have a Tyra Banks mannequin and Forgotten Beauty, a Macy’s mannequin patterned after Miss Kenya of 1984.

He also owns a mannequin made in the 1950s by a company “known for old-fashioned next door girls.” The mannequin looks very much like Jennifer Aniston, who was not born until 1969.

For more information, call Meek at (574) 221-1745.