Smith Family Collection Basket Exhibit On Display In Roswell

ROSWELL, GA — Now through December 31, the Smith Family Collection Basket Exhibit will be on display at the historic Smith Plantation in Roswell. The collection highlights Native American and African baskets, teaching about the materials, methods, and styles that characterize their weaving traditions.

According to curator Betsy Trope, “these are practical works of art. Cherokee and African basket makers were masters of adapting the natural materials around them to create functional items that also happen to be beautiful.”

Built by slave labor in 1845, the home was preserved by three generations of the Smith family and is now open to the public as a museum. For over 160 years, Smith Plantation stood the test of time as all around it the small mill village of Roswell transformed into a bustling metropolitan suburb. The home has since become one of the best examples of vernacular architecture, as well as cultural and historical interpretation, found in the region.

The Smith Family Collection Basket Exhibit is included in the tour of the main house, available daily, from May 1-December 31, excluding Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Tours begin on the hour, 10-3, Monday-Saturday, 1-3 on Sunday.