Renwick Gallery Visit

 

Murder Is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
January 25, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC

AAFSW cordially invites AAFSW members and guests to a guided tour of a special exhibit at the Renwick Gallery on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

Murder is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death explores the unexpected intersection between craft and forensic science. Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962) crafted her extraordinary “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death”—exquisitely detailed miniature crime scenes—to train homicide investigators to “convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and find the truth in a nutshell.” These dollhouse-sized diorama composites of true crime scenes, still used in forensic training today, helped to revolutionize the emerging field of forensic science. At the same time, they subverted traditional uses for gendered and domestic crafts such as miniature-making and needlework, offering Glessner Lee a rare and honored position in the male-dominated world of police investigation.

RSVP to the AAFSW office (office@aafsw.org or 703-820-5420) by Monday, January 22. Guests are asked to meet in the lobby of the Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, by 10:45 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you!

Sheila Switzer
AAFSW Program Chair