Her facility will be profiled in an upcoming segment of cbs news sunday morning program. Together, they amassed a large collection that in 1995 they turned into the museum, establishing it as a nonprofit. What began as an innocent purchase during a production of the nutcracker ballet has blossomed into a worldrenowned collection almost 40 years in the making. Probably the nutcracker ballet is the primary reason the nutcracker has continued to be popular, says arlene wagner, curator of the leavenworth nutcracker. The museum was featured on the nbc program today in 2000. Exhibits of photos from ballets russes, nutcrackers and st. Leavenworths nutcracker lady worlds largest nutcracker. Art and character of nutcrackers wagner, arlene, leavenworth nutcracker museum on. The bestknown nutcrackers bring to life, through wood and paint, the colorful, fiercelooking, bearded soldiers from e.
The curator, arlene wagner, was conan obriens first guest on his tbs show. The leavenworth nutcracker museum, a national heritage foundation by arlene wagner and a great selection of related books, art. Her name is arlene wagner, and for many years she was known as miss arlene, a nationally recognized dance teacher who instilled the love of dance in thousands of students. According to arlene wagner of the nutcracker museum, nutcracker soldiers were made in the erzgebirge region of germany around 1800. Leavenworth nutcracker museum leavenworth, washington. Her name is arlene wagner and shes known globally as the nutcracker lady. The museum became a nonprofit 501c3 foundation and others have donated nutcrackers, and now it contains over 7000 specimens, probably the worlds largest collection of nut. Beyond visions of sugarplum fairies and wooden men wi. Getty imagestoday, rumors are swirling that arlene wagner, who opened the leavenworth nutcracker museum. Arlene wagner also known as the nutcracker lady and her husband have amassed more than 5,000 pieces.
Arlene, 94, first started collecting nutcrackers with her late husband, george. Arlene wagner, founder and curator of the leavenworth nutcracker museum, stands in one of her aisles in 2001. Collecting nutcrackers explore the nutcracker tradition. Arlene wagner, the nutcracker lady from the nutcracker museum in leavenworth, washington, says that the bronze hands, as it was dubbed, was discovered in 1930 in a grave near taranto, italy. Santa with teddy bear and christmas tree nutcracker. The nutcracker, by the numbers by cory matteson lincoln journal star.
Wellmade nutcrackers are practical and collectible. Conans first guest the curator of a nutcracker museum. Nutcrackers getting modern makeover to fit any holiday. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Hoffmans 1816 story, the nutcracker and the mouse king, which. The war also played an important role in introducing americans to the german way of cracking nuts, according to arlene wagner, who curates the leavenworth nutcracker. The 22nd annual convention of the international nutcracker collectors club is coming to virginia. Arlene wagner says these openmouthed nutcrackers always make people laugh. Probably the nutcracker ballet is the primary reason the nutcracker has continued to be popular, said arlene wagner, curator of the leavenworth nutcracker museum in leavenworth. The oldest metal nutcracker known dates to the 3rd4th century b. Dressed in a traditional bavarian dirndl, arlene wagner greets visitors with a smile. The art and character of nutcrackers by arlene wagner. The art and character of nutcrackers book by arlene wagner.
If we were going to make bets, id say that the sultan is. Join facebook to connect with arlene wagner and others you may know. The leavenworth nutcracker museum was founded in 1995 by george and arlene wagner who donated their huge nutcracker collection and the building in which it is housed. The historic houses of odessa are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the nutcracker and the mouse king. View the profiles of professionals named arlene wagner on linkedin. Sources connected to the production tell us wagner who opened the leavenworth nutcracker museum in washington back in 1995 with her husband. Nutcrackers have been collected, handed down for decades. Arlene and george wagner ceded their collection in 2001 to the national heritage foundation so that the museum would be maintained in the event of their deaths. Here in leavenworth, washington, a bavarianthemed village.