A Proper English Doll’s House
An 1830’s English Dollhouse with its original wallpaper. Courtesy of Carol Cameron
Come travel with us to the UK, to the home of our treasured friend, now Vice-President of the United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC), Carol Cameron. Carol is an avid collector of early wooden dolls and doll houses. This is her lovely early English dollhouse; a simple 2 up, 2 down English house from around 1830. The home is filled with early wooden Grodnertals in their original clothing (a feat unto itself!)
The upstairs bedroom.
Let us begin our tour in the upstairs bedroom, temporarily converted into a busy nursery with many tiny babies, one in her wooden walker, another in her basket bed, the tiny walnut sitting on the floor opens to reveal another even tinier baby, the bible set on the side dresser also opens to reveal another tiny baby. They are everywhere the eye can look!
A small group of children appear to be on time out sitting atop the setee while their strict nanny gives them a stern lecture, while another runaway baby has climbed on top of the red cushioned chair against the wall leaving the gentleman in the oversized cream-colored suit quite flummoxed as he is obviously out of his depth.
Don’t miss the wonderful small sampler hanging on the wall.
The upstairs parlor.
In the upstairs parlor, the family entertains a few visitors, namely two clerics making a house call. The taller cleric to the left has come in his weekday visiting suit while the smaller cleric is dressed in his Sunday best. Don't miss that tiny baby in the corner wearing a long blue and white Christening gown with all those tiny tuck pleats!
The downstairs kitchen staff with some little helpers.
Early 1800’s kitchens were full of character. Typically furnished with an open hearth stove, a table for prep work, a large cupboard for storing plates and serving dishes, and barrels, baskets and all sorts of containers to store dry goods, the kitchen was truly the busiest and warmest place in the home. It was not uncommon to find a tin bathtub for bathing baby.
Notice all the copper ware hanging from the wall and also notice the varying scales used for decorating. Unlike today where dollhouses are all fitted with exactly scaled items, early dollhouses can be decorated with a variety of sizes. That is part of their charm.
The downstairs parlor with a table set for tea filled with elegantly dressed babies and gentleladies in their Sunday dress.
And now we make our final stop in our tour, the downstairs dining room where mother and babies don their Sunday best for morning tea. The furniture in this dining room is metal, made by the English company Evans and Cartwright.
To enter the world of antique dollhouses is to travel back in time to a period where fashions, etiquette, and customs inspire one to delve into the rich context of English history. But most importantly, it gives adults permission to leisurely fill ones’ hours as a young princess once did, escaping into a space of carefree imaginings to spin some merry tales.
Special thanks to Carol Cameron for sharing her lovely doll’s house with us.
