Dolls House Miniature

Doll House HISTORY

Doll House HISTORY

 

The interesting leisure pursuit of recreating houses and their contents in detailed miniature is not a recent one. It has been in here for centuries in one variety or another. In fact, for thousands of years, miniature quarters or living spaces, equipped with domestic fixtures and their residents, both humans and animals, have been part of many civilizations. The most primitive examples were hollowed out of the Egyptian tombs of the Old Kingdom. They were estimated to have been in existence since five thousand years ago. These include models of furnishings, livestock, boats and even servants and pets. They were made of wood and were placed in the pyramids for spiritual or religious purposes.

 

Meanwhile, the first known dollhouses in Europe were from the 16th century. They were called baby houses which were actually display boxes or cabinets made up of rooms. These baby houses showcased ideal interior designs with very detailed furnishings and decors. The box cases were elegantly built with aesthetic architectural designs and were filled with tiny representations of household accessories and were geared for adults’ entertainment purposes. Children were not allowed to get close to these baby houses for them to avoid damaging the miniature toys.

 

The first replica of a fully furnished house was under the possession of Albert V, Duke of Bavaria, in the middle of the 16th century. It was then the most famed baby house in Europe that was followed by many wealthy people.

 

Miniature homes then became trophy collections by the few elites who were Dutch, English and Germans living in cities like London, Hamburg and Amsterdam. These elites happened to be wealthy enough to afford luxury items. A fully furnished miniature house at that time was worth the price of a simple full-sized house.

 

Smaller doll houses like the Tate house, with extra realistic outer walls, appeared in Europe in the 18th century.

 

The first few European dollhouses were each inimitable, custom-made by individual craftsmen for their rich customers. When the Industrial Revolution began, manufacturers began producing toys, including dollhouses and miniatures suitable for furnishing them, all in mass basis. German factories were recognized for their dollhouses that included Christian Hacker, Moritz Gottschalk, Elastolin, and Moritz Reichel. The list of important English doll firms included Siber & Fleming, Evans & Cartwright, and Lines Brothers (which became Tri-ang).

 

By the conclusion of the 19th century American dollhouses were being assembled by The Bliss Manufacturing Company in the United States.

 

Germany became the world’s most well known producer of the most cherished dollhouses and doll house miniatures. It was the case until World War I. Distinguished German miniature firms included Märklin, Rock and Garner and others. Their goods were not only passionately collected in Central Europe, but frequently exported to England, Cuba, Canada and the United States. Germany’s participation in the World War II gravely affected both the manufacturing and international trading. This gave rise to the new producers in other countries to become well known.

 

The TynieToy Company of Providence, Rhode Island, made genuine replicas of American old-fashioned houses and furniture in a standardized scale commencing in about 1917. Other related American businesses during the early 20th century were Tootsietoy, Roger Williams Toys, Wisconsin Toy Co., and the Schoenhut.

 

In the other side of the globe, dollhouse dolls and miniatures were also being manufactured in Japan, mostly by replication of original German designs.

 

Doll houses were mass produced in plants on a much bigger scale with less detailed designs than ever before right after the World War II. By the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, a typical dollhouse being commercially sold was made of decorated sheet iron or other metals filled with plastic furniture. Such houses became less expensive that the great majority of girls from the developed countries in Europe and the Americas that were not struggling with reconstruction after World War II could own at least one.

 

The production of toy miniatures for children’s doll houses became a good business and was continued. In the 1970′s, the adults again resurrected the idea of collecting modern pieces of mini houses and displayed them in their living rooms or personal libraries.

 

Today, this hobby of collecting and playing with miniatures is getting a vast fame and there is an increasing number of dedicated shops, miniature festivals and doll house magazines to cater for this interest. Indeed, all over the world, many want to recreate an ideal home that they can dictate and design.

 

Miniature aficionados nowadays like to remake past eras or current events in either whole houses or particular scenes. Some take pleasure in making the models themselves, while others gather limited edition pieces or commission craftsmen to make their particular requirements. The overall objective is to attain precise detail to capture the right mood, personality and method and make this hobby an art of self-expression.

About the Author

Joost Smeets has been a dollhouse enthusiast for
over 10 years.  His newest book, “Dollhouse Making Made Easy,” teaches other
Dollhouse enthusiasts absolutely everything they need to know
about creating the perfect dollhouse.
If you do not own a copy yet, order your copy now at
http://www.thedollhousecenter.com/dollhousemadeeasy.html

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