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.

The unique dimensions make this book a miniature dollhouse. The outside hard cover with the brick house opens in the center like many dollhouses to reveal the ornate interior of the book. On the pages inside, the hundreds of stunning pictures show every detail of the most amazing dollhouses from around the world. This striking package will be irresistible to collectors and dollhouse fanatics. Covering the gamut of historical periods and international designs, each two-page spread explores a select architectural style from a medieval castle to a space-age apartment. Examples of miniature businesses and stores from bakeries to butcher shops to corporate offices offer something for every type of doll house enthusiast, young and old. Photographs showcase both the exteriors, interiors and the dolls themselves. The book focuses on the life-like details that delight dollhouse devotees-from running faucets to cut marks on an inch-tall chopping block to leather-bound books with pages of flawlessly miniscule text. Descriptions of every house and all its hidden secrets accompany each spread.

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.

The fascination with miniature objects continues to grow. One of the most popular forms of "life in miniature" throughout the ages has been the doll's house, which appeals to a great variety of people, including architects, collectors, children, historians, and antiquarians. A doll's house is a miniature representation of its place and time, and this fascinating account of dolls' houses and miniature furnishings covers four centuries and many countries: Holland, Germany, France, England, the United States. Additional information on examples of Scandinavian, Italian, Swiss, and Japanese houses is provided. World famous dolls' houses described at length include Queen Mary's doll house, complete in every detail down to miniature bottles of real champagne in the wine cellar; Colleen Moore's spectacular castle with its diamond chandelier and gold (monogrammed!) forks and knives; Titania's Palace which has been called "a museum-in-little of Italian art"; the Stettheimer doll house with its unique art gallery of miniature originals by famous modern artists. - Back cover.

Moi Ali explores the fascinating world of dolls' houses.

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.