NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: LOWER EAST SIDE; A Reverend of Small Things Finds a Place to House Them - The New York Times

Within blocks of the Williamsburg Bridge, under which nary a troll doth dwell, dozens of wild-haired creatures reside peacefully in the kingdom of the Lower East Side.

O.K. They really reside in a cramped, sixth-floor walk-up that they share with a young woman who is a bit of a sprite herself. But someday soon these creatures may have their own home. At least that is the hope of Jennifer Miller, a 29-year-old conceptual and performance artist known as Reverend Jen. She is ordained by the nondenominational Universal Life Church, which says it will legally ordain anyone.

Recognizable for the pointed elf ears she has worn since 1992, Reverend Jen is founder, head curator and self-styled ''trollogist'' of the Lower East Side Troll Museum, which is in her apartment (No. 19) at 122-124 Orchard Street, and celebrates its first anniversary next month. The museum is open by appointment only, but Reverend Jen plans to set aside Friday afternoons for walk-ins.

These beautifully ugly, bug-eyed, fluorescent-haired dolls, loosely based on Scandinavian folklore, became popular in 1960's counterculture and enjoyed a second boom in the 1990's. Made by Ace Novelty, Norfin, Russ, Uneeda and other companies, some trolls are called Wishniks (rub their wild and woolly hair for good luck) and Treasure Trolls (rub the gem on their belly for good luck).

Reverend Jen, who would like to find an affordable storefront space in the neighborhood, regards many New York galleries and art museums as ''decadent'' and ''superficial,'' with their blockbuster exhibitions aimed at pleasing sponsors and drawing undiscerning crowds.

''The troll museum is more honest than a lot of museums,'' she said. ''And I think people walk out having become fully knowledgeable about trolls.''

At first, Reverend Jen just wanted to exhibit her paintings in her apartment. But her collection of 250 of the wide-eyed creatures -- including a pregnant troll, a two-headed troll, a rare African-American troll and bizarre black market trolls -- seemed to attract more visitors. Gradually, the idea for the museum emerged.

Reverend Jen, who guides the museum tours, received her first troll when she was 12. It was a Norfin she named Adrianna. But most of her trolls were presents from friends, and are ''imbued by the spirit of the giver,'' she said. ''They offer hope and good luck in a world where magic seems like a thing of the past.''