http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/07/arts/design/collectors-still-savor-shirley-temple-black-memorabilia.html 2016-10-07 00:32:19 Collectors Still Savor Shirley Temple Black Memorabilia The plucky child star turned diplomat remains an indelible pop culture figure, and her costumes and other possessions are in demand. === Shirley Temple Black, the plucky child star turned diplomat, remains an indelible pop culture figure, and her costumes and other possessions are in demand. While parts of her estate are being dispersed, new owners of her possessions are unearthing the objects’ histories. Last year, On Dec. 5 and 6, Heritage Auctions in Dallas will offer her The actress, Last year, At last year’s sales, Mrs. Tonnessen said, the clothes’ pristine condition and vibrant fabrics were impressive; the family had kept them well protected in storage. “It was stunning to find out what colors they really are,” she said, since the movies were mostly in black and white. The clothes are trimmed in smocking, ruffles and lace, and they are reinforced with closely spaced hooks and snaps. They were engineered to stay snugly in place on the actress’s body while she danced. Michelle Tolini Finamore, a fashion arts curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, wrote in an email that she has been researching the largely forgotten dressmakers who tailored the star’s costumes. “People were cheering for one another,” Mrs. Tonnessen said of the auctions. “There wasn’t this terrible feeling of competition.” She took notes for what she calls a “Who has what list.” Club members help research one another’s findings, partly by scrutinizing film stills and newspaper clippings. When Mrs. Tonnessen acquired the green dress, she was told that it had appeared in “Just Around the Corner,” a 1938 musical about an impoverished girl’s adventures in hotel living that also starred Mr. Robinson. Another fan informed her that the actress had also worn it in 1938 in “Little Miss Broadway,” in which she plays a resourceful and irresistibly talented orphan. Mrs. Tonnessen said the actress was an unusual example of a star who was allowed to keep her costumes. She rarely wore any in more than one movie. Some pieces sold at Theriault’s have already returned to the market. When collectors in the fan club find something important for sale, they alert one another. “We call it a rescue,” Mrs. Tonnessen said. Last month, the Leominster Historical Society in Massachusetts Mrs. Tonnessen said the star’s onscreen persona keeps motivating the collecting group. “Shirley still inspires happiness and optimism,” she said. Emilio Terry, the mid-20th “In Search of Emilio Terry,” a show and sale at Few of his interior designs remain intact. Last month,