Inside this edition of Small Wonders...

• Curator's Corner
• From the Director
• New Members
• The Museum Store
• Donations
• Area Doll Show Dates
• Coming Events at the Museum
• Museum Membership
• Other Museum Tidbits
  

	Dazzling Couples in Cultural Dress; Traphagen Collection Part III
	May 22nd through October 31st

Thirty dolls attired in authentic regional festival costuming will be the colorful centerpieces of our next Changing Gallery exhibit. These dolls represent the third and final installation of dolls acquired from the Traphagen School of Fashion. Last to be shown, but definitely not least, the dolls are part of a series produced by the L & R Baitz Company, which also includes twenty-six child dolls dressed in historical costuming and twenty-five dolls representing early theater actresses. (Information about the first two collections, and about the history of the school can be found in our Summer 2001 and Spring 2003 newsletters.)

The dolls, most of which are in male-female pairings, represent fifteen European and Asian countries (or former countries), including China, Japan, Czechoslovakia and Spain. The fabric and trimmings used to make the costumes were all imported from the countries the dolls represent. Former Traphagen School curator, Phyllis Spenser, verified the costumes’ authenticity by comparing them to the school’s own vast ethnic costume collection.

The dolls’ expressive faces were sculpted by Lilli Baitz. “Even the bone structure in their faces is accurate for the people they represent”, noted Spenser. The arms and legs were also sculpted by Baitz. The dolls, which average twenty-four inches in height, were then assembled and costumed by a family of artists and dressmakers living in Austria.

Accompanying the dazzling couples of the Traphagen collection will be many other antique and modern dolls dressed in regional costuming. In order to narrow the focus of the exhibit, however, we will not be showing native-made ethnic dolls, rather dolls dressed by one culture to represent another.
We hope you will have a little time this summer to come tour the world of regional dolls with us!

-Jill Gorman
Curator

from the director...

Looking for one good man? How about a whole roomful? Well, we have them and a lot of sweet boys as well in our latest changing gallery “Dashing Men and Adorable Boys”. It is our tribute to the male gender and their presence in our lives. If there isn’t your type here, it might be hopeless. But hurry, this exhibit closes on May 16, 2004. We just couldn’t get a longer commitment from the dolls….

Enter Traphagen Part III Ethnic Pairs. If you were enchanted with the Character Children Part I of the Traphagen School of Fashion dolls exhibited 2 years ago or mesmerized by the Actresses Part II shown last year, you will be equally delighted with this rare collection of dolls dressed as pairs in the style of 15 different cultures. The textiles, the scale, and the beauty of each individually sculpted ethnic man and woman is testament to the great talent of Lilli Baitz and the Austrian family who worked with her in the dolls’ creation in the 1920s and 30s.

We feel so very fortunate to have acquired and been able to exhibit all of this fine collection of 83 dolls for our visitors in the last two years. And we are so very grateful to the past curator of the Traphagen School, Phyllis Spenser, who was responsible for keeping these amazing documents of fashion together and cared for when the school was forced to close and disperse its amassed collections.
As always, we will include other fine and rare ethnic dolls from our collection in the exhibit. What better way to treat your visiting family and friends this summer than with a visit to this exhibit? Better yet, what better way to treat yourself than with a relaxing day in the galleries, one on one with the dolls – a true cultural emersion?

ANNOUNCING THE JEAN SPRAGUE MINIATURE GALLERY
We are pleased and delighted to announce the dedication of our modern miniature gallery to Seattleite and renowned miniaturist Jean Sprague. Many of you know that Jean was responsible for there being a miniature wing included in the original plans for the Museum. It was while we were still in the planning stages that I first met Jean. She had founded the Jean Sprague Guild for Children’s Hospital and annually held a miniature show with proceeds going to support the Hospital’s work. Besides her work on the Museum of History and Industry and the Washington State Arts Commission boards she was a founding president of the Centrum Foundation. However, her most memorable contribution in the miniature world was the coordination of the replica of George and Martha Washington’s mansion Mt. Vernon which was a gift to the Mt. Vernon estate from the people of Washington State. We were honored to have been the first venue where this masterpiece was displayed before its two year journey around the United States.

Her question to me back then was “Are you going to include miniatures in the Museum?” I replied that I did not have enough to comprise a worthy exhibit. “Would you consider it if I were to loan you the miniatures to fill a room?” she inquired. “There are a lot of miniaturists in this area who would be thrilled to visit a museum where miniatures would be displayed.” The answer was a hearty “Yes” and, of course, one room led to two rooms, a modern and an antique, because Jean was so right. Her loaned rooms have been on exhibit along with many more that Jean has created either by herself or with friend and fellow miniaturist Antonio Martenez over the last 11+ years.

We felt it only appropriate that we honor Jean for her suggestion, sharing, and continued dedication to the world of miniatures and the resulting legacy, both philanthropic and cultural. A plaque in the gallery will have been installed by the time you receive this newsletter and we hope you will come visit the Jean Sprague Miniature Gallery on the first floor of the Museum soon and often to enjoy Jean’s room boxes as well as the many others that have been acquired because of her guidance and generosity. Please feel free to leave a comment card for Jean and we will see that she receives it.

-Rosalie A Whyel
Director

Welcome To Our New & Returning Members:

We would like to thank the following people for their generous
donations during the last quarter:

From the Museum Store...

Exciting News - As many of you have requested, we now have in Michael Langton’s version of his original Elmer. Limited to 100 pieces,with only a few left in the edition, this doll is made of a unique material called PorceliteTM which has an amazing likeness to the wooden original. He is fully poseable, due to his five joints and swivel waist, and retails for $395. Elmer comes in his own wooden box with a certificate of authenticity, his incredible story, and artist profile. Don’t miss this opportunity to own a piece of Michael Langton’s work which is so hard to come by and of the finest quality. The original Elmer doll is currently on display in our Changing Gallery - a must see attraction!

Call or stop by for more details or call the Museum Store:
(425) 455-1116 or toll free at 1-800-440-DOLL.

Show Dates

*Look for the Museum sales table

NEW ACQUISITION!
It seems only appropriate with the dedication of the Jean Sprague Miniature Gallery to announce the recent procurement of a special dollhouse that has been on loan from Sharon Swanson for the last several years. The ½” scale house was built and decorated by another well-known Seattle miniaturist, the late Louise Feek, Sharon’s aunt.
We have great admiration for anyone who can see and create in this tiny scale. Louise was in her 70s when she built this house and many of the tiny dolls, needlepoint rugs, and wee furniture. Please come renew your acquaintance with this little masterpiece. You’ll be amazed all over again.

Other Museum Tidbits!