Shirley Temple’s life and career spotlighted at Morris Museum

This Memorial Day weekend, relive the life of Shirley Temple at the Morris Museum as it hosts Love, Shirley Temple through May 24.

The traveling exhibition features Hollywood costumes and rare memorabilia from the personal collection of the world’s most famous child actress.

“This exhibition offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the Hollywood film career and childhood of a beloved American icon,” said Linda Moore, executive director of the Morris Museum.

Sponsored by Theriault’s, the auction leader for important childhood objects, the Morris Museum is the exclusive metropolitan venue for the traveling exhibition, which includes dozens of cherished objects from Shirley Temple’s famed childhood years.

“The legacy of our mother’s unique and legendary contribution to screen entertainment is embodied in these lovingly-preserved artifacts of a childhood like few others in history,” Temple’s family stated. “We believe that, just as the celluloid magic of her youth continues to captivate and enrich successive generations, these artifacts should now be shared across the world with collectors, fans, and museums as tangible reminders of this child star’s irrepressibly joyful and optimistic persona.”

Love, Shirley Temple will provide fans worldwide with an intimate look into the life and work of “America’s Little Darling.” And while Temple danced, sang, and smiled her way into hearts all across the nation throughout the Great Depression of the 1930s, her mother, Gertrude, was busy preserving the memorabilia from her daughter’s more than 40 films of the decade.

Her personal collection has been carefully preserved by her family for the past 80 years, and the traveling museum exhibition will be visiting select cities from New York to California this spring and summer. The tour will culminate in a final auction event at the historic Little Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri on July 14.

“It was Shirley’s wish for this collection to someday go out into the public, and this exhibit gives a very unique snapshot into perhaps the most iconic child of the 20th century,” said Stuart Holbrook, president of Theriault’s.

This weekend, local residents can see some of the actress’s most recognizable movie costumes, including the iconic polka dot dress from “Stand Up and Cheer!” and the complete Scottish-kilt outfit from “Wee Willie Winkie,” in addition to her personal dolls and playthings, a child-sized racing car given to Shirley Temple by friend and co-star Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a Steinway baby-grand piano inscribed to her by Theodore Steinway on behalf of his family, and an array of other memorabilia.

“People seem to really enjoy the movie costumes because they can immediately trigger personal memories of watching the films as a child,” Holbrook said.

Among the exhibition’s highlights are the autograph books and letters featuring paintings and illustrations created for the actress by artists, animators, and cartoonists of the period. “Cary Grant didn’t carry an autograph book around with him, but Shirley was just a child…and she was so excited to meet new people,” he said. “So you’re going to see personal remembrances from everyone from FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt to Orson Welles to an original animator of Mickey Mouse…it seems every major figure of the 1930s is included in her autograph books,” he said.

The museum will also host a special film series in conjunction with the exhibit on Saturday: “Bright Eyes” will be shown at 11 a.m., “Curly Top” at 1pm, and “Wee Willie Winkie” at 3pm. Tickets are $7 for non-members or $5 per members.

“Some visitors will have their own memories of Shirley Temple, while children can get a personal glimpse into the life of this young girl they’ve probably heard about,” Holbrook said. “Most people know what Shirley Temple did for the film industry and for child stars, but this exhibition really highlights what she did for the country — she really helped to lift the nation out of the depression of that time period.”

LOVE, SHIRLEY TEMPLE

WHEN: Through May 24

WHERE: Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown

COST: Regular museum admission applies

INFORMATION: www.morrismuseum.org or 973-971-3700