"An Evening with Miss Iwate & Alan Pate"

SAVE THE DATE!

"An Evening with Miss Iwate & Alan Pate"

2/21/2013

6:00 PM

Miss Iwate – Alabama’s Japanese Friendship Doll

She was a gift along with 57 other dolls from the Emperor of Japan in 1927 as a good will gesture between Japan and the United States. Since her arrival from Japan, she has been kept in the Birmingham Public Library. Unfortunately, she is not on display and can only be seen by appointment.  During the UFDC Convention this past July, some of the Birmingham Doll Club members became interested in Japanese Friendship Dolls and began research. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we had our very own doll right here in Birmingham.

We made an appointment and went to see her, and as you can see from her picture, she is quite beautiful. However, she needs some renovation and a display case so that all visitors to the library can meet and enjoy her.

We began discussing the situation with the librarians and with their help are beginning a campaign to raise funds to help Miss Iwate become an active part of our community.

We began discussing the situation with the librarians and with their help are beginning a campaign to raise funds to help Miss Iwate become an active part of our community.

As a result, well-known Asian doll specialist, Alan Pate will be coming to Birmingham, AL, on the evening of February 21^st to speak about Miss Iwate and all of the Japanese Friendship Dolls. We are hoping to raise awareness of her plight and also to begin fund raising. The evening will begin at 6:00 PM at the Main Library for light refreshments and at 6:30, Alan Pate will make a presentation and entertain questions and discussion at the end.

The public is welcome to join us for the evening