Oh, You Beautiful Dolls

Philadelphia Has America's Largest Collection of Rare Black Dolls

"Barbara's Dollhouse," a 20-minute video documentary produced by Annenberg graduate students Linus Abraham and Nicole Keating, was shown as part of the "Hidden Treasures" event at the Annenberg School for Communication, a celebration of America's largest collection of rare black dolls at the Philadelphia Doll Museum. The video documentary traces the development of the museum, a treasure-trove of over 300 black dolls, located in curator Barbara Whiteman's very own living room. Whiteman refers to the museum as an"educational mission," and thinks of these dolls as "artifacts of history." The museum is located in her home at 7257 N. 18th St., Philadelphia. Visits, though encouraged, are by appointment only by calling (215) 924-3121. Admission is free. The celebration event was co-sponsored by Penn's Center for Black Literature and Culture and the Annenberg School for Communication. Return to Compass Features for December 3, 1996