Riverhead Free Library and the Suffolk County Historical Society are coming together to present “African-American History Through the Eyes of Dolls” from February 7 through March 7.
The exhibit features nearly two hundred Afrocentric dolls from Dr. Judith Kronin’s collection and offers a unique perspective on black history in America. Kronin, an avid doll collector and renowned educator, has a collection of 1,500 dolls.
The exhibit not only includes dolls from Africa and dolls with African roots, but dolls from each era of American History. From slavery to reconstruction, the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression and the civil rights movement to present time, Kronin’s dolls depict blacks in education, athletics, entertainment, and politics.
The collection features such artists as Seymour Mann, Karen Germany, Annette Himstedt, Shirley Housley, Byron Lars, Gloria Tepper, Helen Kish, Robert Toner, Bob Mackie, Maryse Nicole, and Philip Heath. Other highlights of the exhibit include a series of dolls from Byron Lars’s Chapeaux Collection; “Aaron” by Phillip Heath; “Sanga, Pemba, and Medina” by Annette Himstedt; “Bit” by Gloria Tepper; “Louis Satchimo Armstrong” and “Mohammad Ali” by Effanbee—the Legend Series; and “President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama” by Terri Gold.
There will be a talk with Kronin and Suffolk County Historical Society curator David Byer-Tyer on Feb. 16 at 3 p.m., in front of the display case in the main lobby of the Riverhead Free Library. All are welcome to attend.
Kronin’s collection has been featured in exhibits at the African American Museum in Hempstead, the Paterson Museum in New Jersey, and the A. B. Davis Middle School in Mount Vernon. She has lectured at many Long Island libraries on the art of doll collecting and was recently featured on LI Girls Talk, a television program that mentors Long Island youth.
The collection is being exhibited at both the Riverhead Free Library located at 330 Court Street, Riverhead and the Suffolk County Historical Society, across the street at 300 West Main Street, Riverhead.
Source: Press releases issued by the Suffolk County Historical Society and the Riverhead Free Library.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
