Annette News: "Annette: America's Girl Next Door and the Queen of Teen" Exhibit Premier

A few weeks ago, on February 22nd, there was a special premier at The Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles, California to celebrate the opening of a new exhibit honoring our very own Annette Funicello. "Annette: America's Girl Next Door and the Queen of Teen" features a collection of photographs, wardrobe and memorabilia, that highlight many of Annette's greatest personal and career accomplishments.  The display is comprised of items from the personal collections of long-time fans Stacey Ash, Jill Hickey and Steve Kelso.

Scheduled to be open throughout 2018, we encourage you to visit The Hollywood Museum to see this very special tribute for yourself!  Until then, you can preview a few highlights in the photos below.

Among the celebrity guests at the premier were Annette's friends and co-stars (left to right) Paul Peterson, Johnny Crawford and Tommy Cole.

Many treasures to be found within these cases of memorabilia!

In this case one can see a bathing suit like that worn by Annette on the cover of her Bikini Beach record album... as well as a "Try our Famous Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich" needlepoint done by Annette, which she displayed in the  kitchen of her Encino, California home for decades.

Some of Annette's jewelry is on display, including the earrings she wore on the "Tonight Show" in 1987 and her wedding ring from her marriage to Glen Holt on May 3, 1986.

Annette loved to cook!  A couple of her hand-written recipes are also on display.

A couple of Annette's signed contracts, including one from the 1950's, can be found in a case among candid snapshots and some examples of her vintage licensed merchandise.

These wardrobe pieces were worn by Annette for some notable appearances; including on "Entertainment Tonight" (1992) for her first in-depth television interview after going public with her MS diagnosis and her final visit to Disneyland for a personal appearance on August 29, 1998.

Having passed away only ten days prior to the premier; this memorial for Annette's devoted husband and co-founder of The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases was put together by those in charge of the exhibit.  On behalf of all of us who knew and loved Glen, we extend our thanks for this beautiful tribute and the kind thoughts behind it.