Temple Tuesday: Evolution of a Pin

For the design of the annual Shirley’s Army pin, Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) settled on the March of Dimes (MOD) as the charity of choice for this year’s fundraiser. A crappy micro-sized photo of Shirley promoting the MOD accompanied her request for me to design the pin. When I asked if she had something other than her download from Worth(less)point, she replied, “Any photo of her wearing that coat from ‘Little Miss Broadway’ will do.” She must have been tipsy or drowsy, as she knows very well that for someone with OCD for accuracy, “any photo” for reference just wouldn’t do. As it happens, in my vast collection of Shirley photos, I had a November 21, 1938 shot of Shirley receiving roses and a ribbon in honor of being named the Grand Marshal for the upcoming 1939 Tournament of Roses parade. Another shot, taken at the same time, shows her holding up what I “assumed” to be a ring commemorating the same thing.



Never assume…we all know what happens when you do that. Looking for answers, I reached out to Shirley expert supreme, Rita Dubas. Her kindness and generosity in the Shirley world are unmatched. It wasn’t long before I had a plethora of photos AND (accurate) information! It appears Shirley did publicity shots for the Rose Parade AND March of Dimes on the same day, outside her 20th Century-Fox Bungalow. Note the pack of Camels littering the ground. I’m sure Shirley picked the box up and disposed of it properly after this shot was taken!



There was the photo from my collection, used in a vintage ad encouraging people to donate to MOD, with a picture of the button they would receive as a result:



Rita found a vintage MOD button on Worth(less)point; here’s my cleaned up version:



A vintage cartoon of Shirley promoting MOD:



A vintage Mercury dime from the time period (FDR did not grace the dime until after his 1945 death):



Rita also sent these great shots of Robert Ripley (of “Believe it or not” fame) exchanging his dime for a button, in between takes of “The Little Princess.” The two are standing outside her portable studio trailer.



A closeup of the exchange:



Ripley is a proud wearer of his March of Dimes button!



The corresponding close-up:



This vintage interview with Shirley’s mother provides some background on the very real fears that existed as a result of infantile paralysis at the time:

Child Star’s Mother Backs Infantile Paralysis Drive

All mothers of children, rich or poor, famous or unknown, feel the same about infantile paralysis — helpless to ward off its attack, anxious to help those who are unfortunate enough to fall under its blighting shadow. This is the belief of Mrs. Gertrude Temple, mother of the most celebrated little girl in the United States today: Shirley Temple. Mrs. Temple, writing to Keith Morgan, New York City, chairman of the committee for the celebration of the President’s birthday, through whom the 1939 campaign for funds for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis will be launched on January 16, declared:

“To every parent infantile paralysis is a constant fear, for we never know when it may lay its dreaded hand upon our own homes. For that reason,” Mrs. Temple continued, “I have always felt a personal interest in the infantile paralysis drive. I believe that every parent and grown-up should be made to feel how vitally important it is to do everything possible to help the success of the infantile paralysis campaign.”

When the campaign opens January 16, Shirley Temple will be one of the first to wear the March of Dimes button signifying participation in the campaign, as the little motion picture star is an ardent solicitor for all good causes.

The one last piece of research I wanted to do was to figure out what dress Shirley was wearing underneath her coat. Since I typically design the Shirley’s Army pins in color, I wanted to be accurate! I first “assumed” from glancing at the source photo that Shirley was wearing this green smocked dress from “Just Around the Corner.”



The first proof I sent to Melissa to make sure I was on the right track:



A resounding “yes” followed! The next proof:


Although I was happy overall, I felt the mercury dime in the background made the pin a bit busy looking. I consulted Rita and as per usual, her design advice was spot-on. She also pointed out that the outfit Shirley was wearing under the coat was THIS one from “Just Around the Corner”:



I enlarged the photo from my collection and used it for a guide:



Two more proofs followed; the first one was way too busy…




but the second one was JUUUUUUUST right!




Rita created this video on Shirley and her MOD efforts — it’s a must-watch!



Here’s MY request: purchase a Shirley’s Army pin today by emailing Melissa for details!

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.