Dollhouse Love

Objects in miniature scale have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. As a kid I collected tiny trolls, minute tea sets  – the list goes on and on. When I became an adult my fancy turned to dollhouse miniatures. I love anything in miniature, and especially realistically detailed dollhouse furniture that looks as though it might be found in a museum. I have a penchant for miniatures, and it makes my eyes go wide to see a miniature scale candlestick that really works or tiny cupcakes with yummy frosting. Dollhouse miniatures have come a long way, baby. It fascinates me to see a dollhouse grandfather clock that keeps time, or anything in 1:144 scale. Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I ran across this video on YouTube. Check it out – you too will be amazed.

Collecting Dollhouses and Dollhouse Miniatures

By Christopher Dorn

What we know as dollhouse miniatures have been unearthed from Egyptian tombs dating back 5,000 years. These wooden miniatures of people, household items and animals depicted life as it was in the Old Kingdom. Foraging and gathering are inherent human attributes. Therefore it comes as no surprise that collecting meaningful and representational objects will forever be a part of mans’ culture. Miniature collecting in the 16th and 17th centuries was not limited to the female gender. Monarchs, scholars and rich merchants owned cabinets in which to display collections of fossils, precious stones, rare coins and the like.

During the 16th century cabinet displays known as Baby Houses were collected by well to do families in Holland, England and Germany. These early collectible wooden dollhouses were architecturally designed and furnished with true to life miniatures. One example is the Tate House built in England in 1760. Back then it was very common for the wealthy to travel for extended periods of time, so the dollhouse was built in sections for easy transport. These Baby Houses were a major part of daily life, as even the construction of them reflects both pleasure and necessity. It was customary for a visitor to gift the host with trinkets to display in the Baby House in appreciation of hospitality.

It was common in the 17th century for wealthy Dutch merchants’ wives to spend inordinate amounts of money on the hobby of collecting dollhouse miniatures. Petronella Oortman, the wife of a Dutch silk merchant, commissioned a Baby House that became a work in progress from 1686 -1705. She enlisted the efforts of several artists and experts to bring her idea to fruition. Porcelain miniature collectibles were obtained from China, and various mediums such as copper, tortoiseshell and marble were used to create the collectible wooden dollhouse. Silk and velvet tapestries and furnishings graced the rooms, and when all was said and done the cabinet cost between 20,000 – 30,000 guilders which could have bought a real home plus a canal in Amsterdam. Interestingly, the only historical example of a maternity room, or lying – in room dating back to that time is preserved within the walls of the Oortman Baby House.

The Killer Cabinet, so named because it was commissioned by Dr. John Killer of Manchester in 1835 is another example of the meshing of culture and family tradition. Dr. Killer ordered a replica of his favorite lacquered cabinet in which to display dollhouse accessories handmade by the ladies of his house including a chair fashioned from pheasant feathers as well as dollhouse miniatures crafted in London. Perhaps the most grandiose dollhouse of modern times is Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle which is displayed in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. This labor of love was begun in 1928 by the silent film star. In all, 700 experts contributed to the execution of this divine venture.

The group was comprised of Beverly Hills jewelers, Chinese jade craftsmen and surgical lighting experts among many others. Walt Disney painted various murals and paintings within the wood dollhouse. The collectible dollhouse miniatures consisted of chandeliers studded with diamonds, emeralds and pearls, 2,000 year old ancient statues and the tiniest Bible ever written which dates back to 1840. The Fairy Castle dollhouse contains more than 2,000 miniatures at a cost of $500,000 to complete. It is safe to assume that collecting dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures have always been and will remain an ever present thread in the tapestry of mankind.

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The Killer cabinet is so named because it was commissioned in 1835 by John Egerton Killer, a doctor in Manchester, England. When Dr. Killer noticed that the ladies of the house were interested in crafting dollhouse furniture, he ordered a replica of a favorite cabinet to provide them with a means in which to display their creations.

The lacquered cabinet is lovely in itself and opens to reveal four rooms- the drawing and morning rooms, and kitchen and bedroom. Many of the dollhouse miniatures in the dollhouse had been made by the family. One of particular interest is a chair made of pheasant feathers. Other dollhouse accents were ordered from London. The decor reflects  the previous century with English and Dutch flavor.

I have fond memories of my childhood, and the people that helped shape my life. One of these characters was my Great-Aunt Helen who lived next door to us. She was an extraordinary artist, crafter and storyteller. I loved spending time with her because she always had an intriguing project in the works. Pair that with stories about “wee people” and fairies and leprechauns told in her thick Irish brogue and you had one heck of a fun day in store!

I dashed over there one morning and Aunt Helen greeted me at the door with an ugly wooden crate. Her blue eyes twinkled as she told me I was looking at my very own dollhouse. I remember thinking that I pitied the poor doll that had to live in that monstrosity. She saw my disappointment, and quickly explained that we would make that crate fit for the Queen of all dolls. We set to work right away. First, we painted it inside and out. It seemed that it took an eternity for the paint to dry. In the meantime we scoured her studio for bric-a-brac to create some fabulous doll house miniatures. It was an exercise in creativity to furnish the dollhouse-an old frazzled artist’s brush served as a broom, a thread spool made a great table and buttons turned into dishes. It was such fun to take an ordinary object and turn it into a piece of dollhouse furniture. I was constantly on the lookout for the next dollhouse miniature, and Aunt Helen would often present me with her latest find. That old crate served me for several years, and strengthened the bond I shared with Auntie. That is indeed the stuff that childhood memories are made of. While I credit her for nurturing my great imagination and ingenuity, I also think she’s the reason I have a box for collected odds and ends because you never know when you might need them.

When I was a kid there was this really great dollhouse shop in town. The first time I went in it happened to be Christmas time. I was in awe of the stunning little houses with their tiny bejeweled Christmas trees, wreathes hanging on doors and plates of good-enough-to-eat cookies and other delectable treats on beautifully set tables. I was overwhelmed at the sight of intricately fashioned dollhouse accessories such as silver tea sets, dollhouse chandeliers and artwork in frames that looked like Monet himself had painted them. I walked around taking it all in and must have exclaimed, “Mom, look!” at least a hundred times. I found myself wishing that I was one of those lucky little plastic people!

So, this it how the love affair began all those years ago. I still experience that childlike glee in the presence of dollhouse miniatures!