~’BLACK DOLLS’ . . NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY / FINAL WEEKEND !!

PERSEVERANCE v. SUBSERVIENCE / think on it.

‘BLACK DOLLS’ . . FEB 25 – JUNE 5, 2022
NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 170 CENTRAL PARK WEST at 77TH ST, NYC

TICKETS: VISIT / NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

SEE INTRO: ‘BLACK DOLLS’ / NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

PHOTOS FROM THE EXHIBIT . . BY NANCY SMITH / MARCH 5, 2022


‘Doll in blue dress’, Eastern US or Canada, ca. 1865-70
handmade,’scrap/rag doll, cotton, paint / for the features on the face.


male servant / house doll, with an ‘iron enslavement collar’ (looks to be wrapped wire) /
so that he could not run away, and, to keep him mentally . . subservient.
one does not need a caption, to understand that this is an enslaved person.


some dolls are happier play than others / but all – reflect their times.
simple worded wall texts, and display captions – help with the background info and context,
without being . . inflammatory. facts are presented just as straightforward, and honest, . . as could be / with an even-handed emphasis on the doll making, as much as the greater social commentary.
there are also a lot of wonderful, original historic photos / which speak as direct witness to the times.


the text reads:
“Expressions of resilience and creativity, perseverance and pride, love longing. The handmade Black dolls that populate this exhibit have a lot to say. Stitched largely by Black women for their own children or white youngsters under their care, the dolls were ingeniously
crafted from materials at hand. Their faded clothing, torn bodies, and sundry repairs evoke vigorous play and lost conversations, and call up images of the children that cuddled, pampered, and mistreated them.

Made in the U.S. between the 1850s and the 1940s, these dolls span a tumultuous period in American history marked by slavery, legalized segregation, and entrenched racism. These works are mute about their specific histories, yet every stitch and swatch was a deliberate choice. The makers. mostly unknown to us, created toys that expressed their inner lives and intangible feelings while challenging pervasive stereotypes.”

note: the dolls on display are from the collection of DEBORAH NEFF, unless otherwise noted.


the ‘interactive’ stations are both fun, and . . hands-on informative.
this presentation lets you experience the ‘recycled’ / mostly used or left-over scraps / and sometimes straight out . . rags that made up the majority of the dolls.
the so-important black material used for the bodies, and faces usually came from worn-out woolen socks, or finer cotton stockings.


this exhibit is so, so excellent. especially in that it was really fun,
and seriously: thoughtful, a vivid, even intimate learning experience, and, not just a purely conceptual, nor overtly motivated one. glorious DIY – was the order of the day.
deeply rooted, and varied – just like the people who made them.
although harsh reality was not excluded, these after-all were dolls, not weapons.
although if words can be weapons, I guess – so can dolls.
but overall, a joyous pride of improvised creativity, that not only expressed a tough era, and perhaps a hardened ‘inner’ life . . but, which also delighted young children, sets the dominant warm tone /
while demonstrating and explaining the range of skills and fabrication – along the way.

DIY: re-cycled !! hand-stitched !! home-made !! creative !! expressive !! useful.
and, necessary.

where the link to both universal ancestral human artistry,
and, the very ‘heart’ of our cutting-edge contemporary art . . . meet.

I only wish this exhibit – could have continued on through the summer.
and, I bet – I’m not the only one.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH