The exterior of the Riggs Dolls House found on the Homes & History Magpie
Riggs Dolls’ House
Two lucky little girls received this dolls’ house as a gift from their father, a London stockbroker, during the 1840s. There was a great fashion for dolls’ houses at this time, but even by the standards of its day, it would have been an impressive piece. Designed as an expensive gift for the girls, it was also a way of displaying the family’s wealth and
Riggs Dolls House Kitchen found on Grace E White Flickr photostream
standing in the community. For if this was the quality of the dolls’ house can you imagine how grand its setting must have been?
Loving Care By Mrs. Riggs
Riggs Dolls House Drawing Room found on Grace E White Flicker photostream
The house, now known as the ‘Rigg Dolls’ House’ stayed with his family until 1957 when it joined the museum. Having donated the house, Mrs. Rigg, Dr. Rigg’s widow, became a frequent visitor and on one occasion in 1984, when she was in her 90’s, she ‘weeded out’ the pieces that had infiltrated the house since her donation to leave a true record of the contents as she knew it. However, during Mrs. Rigg’s lifetime, the house had seen some changes. Museum records state that ‘Mrs. Rigg had various repairs done by her chauffeur: the roof and chimney were added, and some of the pillars of the balustrade were made from miniature skittles cut in half.’ She had also added the toilet roll and the mangle.
Six rooms of the Riggs Dolls House found on Homes & History Magpie
One Of The Best
Fergus Gambon, an auctioneer and specialist on the BBC Antiques Roadshow, declared it “one of the best 19th-century dolls’ houses in existence.” He compared it to the Audley End dolls house on display at Audley End in Essex (English Heritage) and The Killer Cabinet, a dolls’ house created with a Japanned cupboard on display in the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood (V&A).
The Riggs Dolls House is on permanent display at the Tunbridge Wells Museum. Thank you to Rachel Hale for these excerpts. Read her full article about the Riggs Dolls House on her excellent blog – Homes & History Magpie.
Susan Downing, with Patrick Owens
_________________________________________________________________________
I invite you to visit my Etsy Shop where I offer many accessories and pieces of furniture in 1:12 scale.
