OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ROSALIE WHYEL MUSEUM OF DOLL ART

Inside this edition of Small Wonders...

• Curator's Corner
• From the Director
• News From Rosie's Too
• New Members
• The Museum Store
• Donations
• Education Programs
• Area Doll Show Dates
• Coming Events at the Museum

Curator's Corner

 A Life-long love of dolls.....

My life-long love of dolls appears to be a hereditary circumstance.  My great-grandmother, Ada Anderson, was a doll collector and a founding member of the UFDC -affiliated Seattle Doll & Toy Collector's Club.  Ada's daughter, Alda Grant, became the next caretaker of the collection, and was also active in the doll club.  

It was my grandma who first exposed me to antique dolls.  My childhood bedroom boasted a wonderful, large display case (at least I THINK it was large.  When you're only a few feet tall, most everything around you looms large). My grandma displayed some of her dolls in this case, including a pin cushion doll that had been dressed by my great grandma.  She later gave it to me, and thus began my own growing collection.

My mother, Linda Hamburg, also inherited the love of dolls, and when she was given her mother's dolls, she immediately had wonderful, protective display cases made for them.  My grandma was so pleased to see the dolls in their new home!

My grandma was also thrilled to visit the Museum when it opened, only a few months before she passed away.  I often think of her and wish she could be here to see and enjoy the many changing exhibits, new additions to the permanent exhibits and countless other special events hosted by the Museum over the years.  Thank you, grams, and thank you, mom, for exposing me to the wonderful world of dolls.

It was Susan Hedrick who initially recommended me for a position at the Museum and  Susan whom I worked most closely with during the ensuing four years.  But her dream of writing novels has beckoned for quite some time, and so I wish her all the best as she pursues her dream.  Thank you, Susan, for everything you have done to help me pursue mine.

I especially wish to thank Rosalie for her ongoing "vote of confidence" and support.  It has meant the world to me, and I look forward to continuing our work (and play) with the dolls.  Thank you, Rosie.

-Jill Gorman, Curator

from the Director

Thank you to the over four hundred members, old friends and new friends who came by on Saturday, September 11, to wish us a Happy 7th Birthday and our wonderful Queen Anne Wooden Doll her 314th birthday!  And, thank you once again to Amazing Cakes for their beautiful portrait on our "amazingly" delicious cake.  Our special birthday sales room overflowed with dolls, books, gifts, and toys of which many took advantage.  We hope you found a treasure there (or at Rosie's Too) on that day or throughout the following week.

Our birthday followed a week of mixed emotions as we said a fond farewell to Curator, Susan Hedrick, as she heads off into the literary world.  As many of you already know, Susan is a person of many talents.  The writing muse has been whispering in her ear for several years and a nearly finished novel finally caused her to make that last step into a new career.  However, she assures everyone that dolls will, or course, remain a part of her life.  We assure you, we won't let her go completely out of the Museum's life either, but we wish her huge success and are eager to read this novel we've heard tidbits of over the last year.

- Rosalie A. Whyel, Director

Welcome to Our New Members: