Newsletter

Each time the planning process begins for a Changing Gallery exhibit, it seems that no matter the focus, there are always more than enough dolls in the collection to mount a wonderful and comprehensive exhibit. The subject of our next display is proving no exception, as countless charming little dolls of the male persuasion have been patiently waiting in storage, for their own moment in the spotlight.

This exhibit of more than three hundred male dolls will include some very special “rarities”, including the mysterious, so-called French “court dolls”, along with dolls of early papier mache, wax and cloth. The bisque head dolls will be well represented by, among others, a possible prototype Hertwig character boy from the Hertwig Family collection and a beautiful Bru Jne boy in ethnic costuming, from the famous Dina Vierney collection.
Many modern collectible and artist dolls will also be represented in the exhibit. What would a male doll exhibit be without Barbie’s longtime love, Ken? Joining G.I. Joe and other “action figures”, will be “Free Moving Ken”, dashingly dressed in exercise attire, complete with his own golf and tennis gear. And speaking of G.I. Joe, a very special little wooden and cloth doll representing an American GI, made in France in the mid-1940s, will be featured along with sundry other military-inspired dolls.

Each new exhibit installation also brings dolls related to the focus of the exhibit “out of the woodwork”, as new acquisitions arrive at the Museum just in time to take part in the show. At press time, the opening is twelve weeks away, so you can be sure that many more dashing men and adorable boys will surface in time to join the other fellows. We hope that you and your own favorite fella will join us as well!

Welcome to the New Year of 2004! May it be prosperous, may there be peace in our world and your home, may you find joy in many ways and one of them, dolls.
If ever we hosted a joyful exhibit in our 11 plus years, it would have to be “A Path through Black History.” The experience of mounting this exhibit became more and more thrilling as the dolls and paintings took their places one by one. Not long into it Jill, Shelley and I realized we were surrounded with pure glee - each smiling face, each gleaming eye told a story of its own. The vivid colors, the graceful lines, the patterns and textures drew us into a dance with the dolls that swirled to the top of the cases where many more dolls look cheerfully down at the visitors. The dolls from the paintings by Denae looked as though they had just stepped from the canvases into real time.

Come dance with the dolls and follow them through their historical path. Smile with them and contemplate, as we did, why they have so much to smile about. We again wish to thank the talented women who lent so much to our exhibit and our exhibit opening. Denae, two dimensional artist extraordinaire; Kindness Woods, doll artist and keeper of her family’s history and memories; and vocal artist, Awilda Verdejo who blessed us with beautiful black spiritual music.Remember we are holding this exceptional exhibit over through February 29, 2004-Black History Month. Do not miss it.
Then get ready for the men in our lives as we stage the first ever exhibit of all male dolls. There will be some real charmers, some real oddballs, and some so adorable we know why we can’t live without them. Certainly there will be one for each of us, no matter what type we are attracted to. Actually, we couldn’t believe the vast variety of men and boys who have come to live at the Museum, many of whom have never been on exhibit, and we felt it was high time! Plan to attend early as they will only be on display for 2 months.

In preparation for our all male exhibit did you rent and watch “On Golden Pond” as I suggested in the last Newsletter? We hope so, and hope that you spotted “Elmer” as he and his creator, Michael Langton, will be gracing us with their presence. Is there anything better than a doll with history? And what a history - to think on Elmer’s very first movie he shared the stage with the great Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda! Michael has graciously agreed to come speak about his creation that has been immortalized on the big screen; what this little doll meant to Hepburn and how he shaped Langton’s career. Be sure to read further in this Newsletter for program details.

And after all the boys and men have had their fun we will be completing the Traphagen School of Fashion dolls with Part III. This is the final part of the 83 doll collection and certainly not the least of them. Twenty-six dolls in pairs of ethnic couples from around the world will grace the Changing Gallery. Their dress is as beautiful, if not more so than those in Part I and II, and each individually sculpted to portray the most handsome of people from 13 different cultures. Of course, we won’t stop there. Many more wonderful examples of ethnic dolls from the collection will be shown, ones that have never been exhibited here before.
So, as you can tell, we have a lot of exciting dolls and exhibits in store for you in the coming year. Do plan to attend each of these wonderful exhibits. The dolls and toys will probably never be seen together again, at least not in our lifetime. If you love dolls, you know this is where you should be at least three times a year. And if you collect them, well, our stores offer new and wonderful dolls for your buying pleasure nearly every day of the year.

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

Linda Baker Japanese lady doll	Barbara Kemis Handmade cloth dolls; wooden blocks
Eleanor Jane Bittner Baby quilt, bonnet, crib sheet and two blankets	Betty Kranz-Sinclair Mannequin baby with basket
Deborah Davis China head doll; Campbell’s Kids vinyl doll	Mrs. Ruth Matthews Patsy Joan doll
Maylee Donaldson RWMDA ephemera; doll and collecting magazines	Maryann R. Osterman Doll poster
Jan De Felice Composition, hard plastic and cloth dolls; doll crib; doll clothing	Eileen Penny Clark Children and doll clothing
Linda Jo Greenberg Collection of ethnic dolls	Agnes Sura Souvenir doll
Mary Ann Griffin Multi-face Trudi; sewing manikin doll	Marjorie M. Sutherland Armand Marseille doll body and clothing; Schoenau & Hoffmeister doll
Dorothy Heltness Eight Norwegian dolls in original boxes	Norma Rolla Collector’s History of Doll’s book
Joyce Hoffer Ethnic dolls	Jack Del Vaglio Fabric

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

With life as hectic and busy as it can be, why not reconnect with friends and family? Experience a day of renewal with an adult tea and stroll through the Museum Galleries. For under $30 a piece, a group of 10 or more can enjoy two hours in our elegant Rose Room and Gardens with a full English Tea and tour through the Museum at your leisure, any day of the week. We arrange for everything, including linens and china. Take this chance to dress up, bring your childhood or favorite doll (or teddy bear) and experience the people in your life. Begin a tradition today! Contact Lacee at the Museum, 425-455-1116.

“Elmer” and his Creator Come to the Museum!

The Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art is proud to be welcoming Michael Langton from Stratham New Hampshire! Michael is a modern doll artist, working mainly of wood, who carved the legendary “Elmer” featured in the movie “On Golden Pond”. This little wooden doll was the confidant of Ethel Thayer as played by the great Katharine Hepburn. In this program we will get to meet this doll celebrity in an intimate fashion and see how he won the heart of Ms. Hepburn and inspired Michael to become the magnificent artist he is today, One of his creations, “Fireman”, can found on permanent exhibit in the Museum. We will also be welcoming “Elmer” into his new home, here at the Museum. Please join us Saturday, March 6th at 1 p.m. in the Rose Room to have a little Hollywood and history at the same time.

Seating is Limited. Reserved seats required.
Call the Museum at (425)455-1116.

The Shades of Mourning

Come experience the lighter side of mourning in this wonderful program by Atha Kahler. Atha will be covering the mores, fashions, and interesting habits that accompanied this custom. Journey from Colonial times through to World War II, with a special emphasis on the Victorian era, to see how it was when black was “in”. Experience the mystique and mystery via doll, children, and adult clothing and accessories. The Collection of Atha Kahler and Joyce Coughlin will be on display, including French Fashions and Chinas.
Saturday, February 28, 2004
1 p.m. Rose Room

Seating is Limited. Reserved seats required.
Museum Members Free, Non-Members $3
Call the Museum at (425)455-1116.

Children’s Tea Parties

Come celebrate your child’s next birthday or accomplishment at the Museum with one of our Party Packages. Choose from three different plans; we have everything from do-it-yourself to a full English Tea. The beauty of the Rose Room and gardens makes it a perfect spot for your event, while the Galleries and scavenger hunt are built in entertainment. Please see our website for full details and prices.

Education and Fun! Did you know that you and your Girl Scout Troop, Campfire Girls, School Class or Children’s Club can tour the Museum (do the
scavenger hunt) and buy a patch in the store for under $5.00? The scavenger hunt also serves as a guide for further studies on the wonderful history of dolls and toys.

DOLL WONDERS
By Annie Laurie Steffens

Cute, beckoning for attention,
All the stories,
Passed down from
The ages.

Brunettes, blondes, red haired,
Curly, long, short, wavy, ringlets.

For a multitude of occasions,
In all sorts of circumstances:
Holidays, special themes;
Always perfect to
Decorate with a doll!

Anyday, everyday
Is an excellent moment
To share with darling dolls!
They are truly enchanted!

Once again the doll world was saddened at the loss of one of our most knowledgeable and beloved of doll collectors, John Darcy Noble. His books and articles over the years have intrigued and charmed us, just as John did. He was Curator of toys at the Museum of the City of New York for nearly twenty-five years before retiring to California. Though he will be greatly missed, his presence will be felt as we collect and study the early and the unusual dolls that John so dearly loved.

-Thank you to Annie Laurie for submitting this poem about our favorite subject. It just about says it all. Annie is a doll collector from Vermont. She teaches American sign language while attending art school and hopes to be a doll artist one day. We will be excited to see what she creates!

JANUARY 29 - 31 2004 Doll Appraisal Clinic at Rosie’s Too During Regular Hours	NOVEMBER 22 2003 - FEBRUARY 29 2004 “A Path Through Black History in Two and Three Dimensional Art”
FEBRUARY 28 2004 “The Shades of Mourning” Program by Atha Kahler Display by Atha Kahler & Joyce Coughlin (see Museum Tidbits)	MARCH 6 - MAY 16 2004 “Those Dashing Men and Adorable Boys”
MARCH 6 2004 “Elmer” Program by Michael Langton (see Museum Tidbits)	MAY 22 - NOVEMBER 2004 “Dazzling Couples In Cultural Dress” Traphagen School Dolls Part III
APRIL 11 2004 Easter Day Museum CLOSED

	Those Dashing Men and Adorable Boys
	March 6th through May 16th, 2004

ANTIQUE DOLL & TOY MART* Bellevue Inn Red Lion Bellevue WA Sunday February 8, 2003 11am - 4pm	CROSSROADS DOLL & TEDDY BEAR SHOW* Puyallup Fairgrounds Puyallup WA Saturday March 13, 2004 10am - 4:30pm Sunday March 14, 2004 10am - 4pm
CROSSROADS DOLL & TEDDY BEAR SHOW* Washington County Fairgrounds Hillsboro OR Saturday February 21, 2004 10am - 4:30pm