Frances Glessner Lee created dollhouses with dead dolls. In this episode of Vox Almanac, Vox's Phil Edwards explains why.

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Frances Glessner Lee's "Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death" are part of a new exhibit at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Art museum. The collection is part art, part science, and part creepy peek into the world of forensic science.

These miniatures significantly advanced forensics and forensic science, but they aren't just CSI curios they're complex, confounding works of art that manage to be morbid and beautiful at the same time.

Lee's legacy bridges both the art world and the world of crime — and you'll get a chance to see exactly how her nutshell studies work. These aren't just dollhouses — they're entire worlds worth exploring.

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