Dollhouse
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Dollhouse (disambiguation).
Image:DollhouseLivingRoom.jpg A dollhouse is a miniature replica of a standard house. They are most commonly associated with children's doll play, in which familiar domestic situations are simulated for play value, but the making, decorating, and display of dollhouses also forms a hobby for adults.
The term dollhouse is common in the United States and Canada. In UK usage, doll's house or dollshouse is usual.
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For both children and adults
As a children's hobby, dollhouses are typically sized to be appropriate for available dolls, and range in complexity from ad-hoc structures to sophisticated replicas of actual houses.
As a hobby for adults, the craft may trace its origins to a long interest in crafting miniatures of everyday objects; it is known to have existed since Ancient Egyptian times.
Standard scales
Image:Scale for Nancy.jpg There have been several standard scales in dolls houses over the years. Children's toy houses during most of the 20th century were three quarter scale (where 1 foot is represented by 3/4 of an inch), also known as 1:18 (1" equals 18"). Popular brands included Lundby (Sweden) (established in 1947 and still going strong), Renwal, Plasco, Marx, Petite Princess, and T. Cohn (all American) and Caroline's Home, Barton, Dol-Toi and Triang (English). A few nominally 3/4-scale brands may run closer to 1:16 scale. With the exception of Lundby, 3/4-scale furniture was most often made from plastic. Houses were made from a variety of materials, including metal (tin litho), fibreboard, plastic, and wood.
In Germany during the middle part of the 20th century 1/10th scale became popular (based on a metric system where 10 inches is represented by 1 inch). Toylike houses coming out of Germany today remain closer in scale to 1:10 than to 1:12.
In the 1970s, the standard for adult collectors became 1/12th (also called 1" or one inch scale, represented in the U.S. as 1:12). Kit and fully built houses are typically made of plywood or medium density fibreboard. There are two major types of kit construction. Tab-and-slot kits use a thinner plywood and are held together by a system of tabs and slots (plus glue). These houses are usually light-weight and lower cost but often require siding, shingles, or other exterior treatments to look their best. Kits made from heavier plywood or MDF are held together with nails and glue. In the U.S., most houses have an open back and a fancy front facade, while British houses are more likely to have a hinged front that opens to reveal the rooms.
For those who are looking for more challenge or who are running out of space there is also half inch scale or 1/24th (1 foot is represented by 1/2 an inch), quarter inch scale or 1/48th (1 foot is represented by 1/4 of an inch), and "dollhouse for a dollhouse" (1:144). Half-inch scale was popular in Marx dollhouses in the 1950s but only became widely available in "collector" houses after 2002, about the same time that even smaller scales became more popular. These smaller scales are much more common in the U.S. than in Britain.
And finally there is "Play scale" or 1/6th which is the perfect size for Barbie and other similar dolls.
The creation of dollhouses is a hobby open to many. There are a number of magazines on the subject, with supplies available from shops and elsewhere. Dollhouse clubs which meet regularly, and online chat rooms let you talk to other miniaturists.
Constructions can range from the historically accurate to a building that suits personal taste.
Getting started
There are several ways to acquire a dollhouse. Some (since this can be expensive, it's not for everyone) people buy a ready-made and decorated house first and proceed to more adventurous projects later on. Quite a few buy one of the many kits available to build. Some design and make their own house, these range from simple boxes stacked together to works of art. The other options are to buy a house made to your own design (which is expensive!) Some start with simple room settngs.
The same principle applies to miniature objects to go inside dollhouses, such as books and clocks, items of furniture, interior decorations, and dolls. Although shop-bought items are generally of a higher quality, they tend to be more expensive. Homemade items are often cheaper and more rewarding to make as almost any material can be used.
If there are no dollhouse shops in your area, then one alternative is to use mail order. This is popular in Britain and America, but more so in the United States. 1/12th scale dollhouses start at around $50 for a simple kit but can run much higher for a large, elaborate, or one-of-a-kind house. There are also dozens of miniature trade shows held throughout the year by various miniature organizations, where artisans and dealers display and sell miniatures. Often, how-to seminars are part of the show features.
Famous dollhouses
One of the most famous and well planned dollhouses is Queen Mary's Dolls' House which was designed in 1924 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Queen Mary [1]; it is displayed at Windsor Castle.
One of the most opulent dollhouses in North America is Colleen Moore's Fairy castle which has been housed as an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois since the early 1950s.
Also located in Chicago are the famous Thorne Rooms, 68 miniature period rooms designed by Mrs. James Ward Thorne, who commissioned master craftsmen to create the furnishings for the rooms during the 1930s and '40s. The rooms are housed in the Art Institute of Chicago.
A lesser-known masterpiece is Tara's Palace, housed in Malahide Castle, Dublin. Started by Ron and Doreen McDonnell in 1980, it is based on Sir Neville Wilkinson's celebrated Titania's Palace, which he created in 1908. The house itself is built in 1/12th scale and is influenced by Castletown House, Leinster House, and Carton, the three prominent 18th century mansions in Ireland. The house has 25 rooms and was built to raise money for children's charities.
In Tampere in Finland, the Moomin Museum displays the Moomin house, a dollhouse created around the Moomin characters of Tove Jansson. The house was built by Jansson and some of her close friends and later donated to the town of Tampere.
Located at University Way & 42nd St. NE in Seattle, you will find the most decrepid life-size dollhouse still standing. Kurt Cobain probably did heroin here and then choked Courtney Love or something.