Over 650 color photos of individual houses, several hundred pieces of furniture made of metal, wood, paper and plastic, and delightful full sets. Dollhouses, dating from 1900 to 1990, include miniature models up to the large Mego Walton Farmhouse. The biggest names in dollhouse manufacture are well represented, and a list of sources for securing dollhouses and furniture, and addresses of publications.
Features pictures and information on over 200 dollhouses from Europe and America dating from the mid-1800s through the 1970s. Includes photographs of 2,000 examples of furniture, dolls and accessories.
Here is a wonderful resource for dollhouse collectors seeking to identify and date items in their collections. Shown in over 400 photographs are advertisements from catalogs, magazines, and trade journals picturing dollhouses, dollhouse furniture, and accessories. The ads provide a comprehensive pictorial history of mostly American dollhouses dating from the 1880s to the 1980s. Shown are products from many famous dollhouse companies, including N.D. Cass, Arcade, Meccano, Lines Brothers, Schoenhut, Strombecker, Wisconsin Toy, Rich Toys, Keystone, Converse, Tynietoy, Renwal, Marx, Plasco, Ideal, Playsteel, Built-Rite, Nancy Forbes, Tootsietoy, and many other well-known firms. Of special interest are ads from companies not recognized in previous dollhouse books, including Cranford, Elastic Tip, Playroom Equipment, Toy Gro Educational Toys, Playskool Institute, Vista, Melco Toys, and many more. A special chapter illustrating magazine and newspaper plans for building dollhouses is included to help with the identification of handmade houses and furnishings. This unique book will help new and old collectors alike research their beloved dollhouses and dollhouse furniture.
A “comprehensive and enjoyable” guide to the centuries-long history of dolls’ houses and how they illuminate our past (Books Monthly). Dolls’ houses are tiny slices of social history that give us a fascinating glimpse into domestic life over the last three hundred years. Through text and photos, Nicola Lisle explores the origins and history of dolls’ houses and their furnishings, from the earliest known dolls’ house in sixteenth-century Bavaria to the present, and looks at how they reflect the architecture, fashions, social attitudes, innovations, and craftsmanship of their day. She discusses the changing role of dolls’ houses and highlights significant events and people to give historical context, as well as taking a look at some of the leading dolls’ house manufacturers such as Silber & Fleming and Lines Brothers Ltd (later Triang). Included are numerous examples of interesting dolls’ houses, the stories behind them, and where to see them—including famous models such as Queen Mary’s spectacular 1920s dolls’ house at Windsor Castle. There is also a chapter on model towns and villages, which became popular in the twentieth century and also give us a window on the past by replicating real places or capturing scenes typical of a bygone era, plus advice for dolls’ house collectors, a detailed directory of places to visit, a timeline of dolls’ house history, and recommended further reading.
Build charming doll furniture that any little girl will cherish for a lifetime. These easy-to-follow plans and projects allow you to make heirloom-quality pieces perfectly scaled to proportion for the ever-popular American Girl(R) and other 18" dolls. Inside you'll find everything you need to get started, from carefully drawn patterns and full color photos of finished pieces, to step-by-step assembly tips, materials lists, and finishing techniques.
A landmark book by the country's foremost authority on antique dollhouses and their furnishings. Written in delightful prose with wonderful anecdotes and valuable descriptions, this work will become a standard reference for collectors and novice enthusiasts alike.
From the Star-Spangled Banner flag to Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History is home to some fascinating objects. In fact, one of the most fascinating of these, and one of the most popular, is itself a home. On the museum's third floor sits a five-story dollhouse donated to the museum by Faith Bradford, a Washington D.C. librarian, who spent more than a half-century accumulating and constructing the 1,354 miniatures that fill its 23 intricately detailed rooms. When Bradford donated them to the museum in 1951, she wrote a lengthy manuscript describing the lives of its residents: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doll and their ten children, two visiting grandparents, twenty pets, and household staff. Bradford cataloged the Dolls' tastes, habits, and preferences in neatly typed household inventories, which she then bound, along with photographs and fabric samples, in a scrapbook. She even sent museum curators holiday cards written by the Dolls. In America's Doll House, Smithsonian Institution curator William L. Bird, Jr. weaves this visual material and back-story into the rich tapestry of Faith Bradford's miniature world. Featuring vibrant photography that brings every narrative detail to life, America's Doll House is both an incisive portrait of a sentimental pastime and a celebration of Bradford's remarkable and painstaking accomplishment.
Strombecker Dollhouses and Furniture is a complete guide to the items produced by one of the most prolific toy makers in America. It documents the style changes from the first furniture introduced in the Depression through Art Deco styles to Mid-Century Modern. This updated edition has 64 additional pages and more than 400 photos, including boxed sets, catalog pages, and advertisements.
Miniaturist Sheila Smith shares her unique weaving and plaiting techniques for making beautifully executed, authentic-looking wicker furniture for the dolls house. There are over 25 diverse projects tailored to suit all abilities, from the beginner to the experienced miniaturist and complement every room in the dolls house and. Supported by colour photographs, detailed illustrations and templates.
