Dollhouses Inspired By Alexandria History On Display At City's Black History Museum (PHOTOS)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- It's history and folk art all in one intriguing exhibit of dollhouses.

Two lifelong Alexandrians -- Sharon J. Frazier, a retired nurse and Linwood M. Smith, a retired automotive mechanic -- began working together in 1994 to create lovely and detailed miniature versions of their neighborhood's people and places.

"Our Alexandria: African American Dollhouses by Sharon J. Frazier and Linwood M. Smith," opens today at the Alexandria Black History Museum, includes a hair dressing salon, a medical building, an attorney's office, a nursery school and the Robert Robinson Library -- Alexandria's first black library.

That library was built by the city in 1940, after a 1939 sit-in at Alexandria's whites-only library organized by attorney and civil rights leader Samuel W. Tucker. The Robert Robinson Library now houses the Alexandria Black History Museum.

Meet Frazier and Smith at the opening reception for "Our Alexandria: African American Dollhouses by Sharon J. Frazier and Linwood M. Smith" on Feb. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibition runs until May 1 at the Alexandria Black History Museum (902 Wythe St., Alexandria).

RELATED VIDEO: How to make a miniature tree.

Comments

[alexandra23]

06:27 PM on 02/10/2012

The intricate details included in each scenario are nothing short of amazing!

[alexandra23]

06:00 PM on 02/10/2012

This is fascinating! Awesome talent involved in putting these historical doll houses together. Kudos to these dollhouse creators!

[bubbalicious87616]

04:00 AM on 02/10/2012

Oh God I want that dollhouse!! :)

[mombabytiger]

12:22 AM on 02/10/2012

Very cool.

[Fortune27]

12:20 PM on 02/09/2012

This is sweet but the hair salon doesn't quite ring true. From my experience, the decor is not nearly warm and inviting enough.