I have had a life-long love affair with dollhouse miniatures, and careers in art education and interior design. I hope to combine these life experiences to help other miniature enthusiasts get more out of this wonderful hobby we enjoy, a hobby that often reaches the level of an art form. Susan Downing
Thorne Rooms Tennessee Entrance Hall, 1835, c. 1940, on permanent exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago
Narcissa Niblack Thorne, the wife of James Ward Thorne, son of one of the founders of Montgomery Ward, commissioned this group of exquisite room boxes. Her interest in miniatures began early and was encouraged by trinkets sent to her by her uncle, a Rear Admiral in the US Navy. This passion continued into her adult life.
Categories: Edwardian, Elizabethan, French, Jacobean, room boxes
Victorian Era Venetian Bedroom
Puddling refers to an amount of extra drapery length that is spilled or “puddled” onto the floor. In the days when fabrics were rare and expensive only the wealthy could afford them; only the truly rich could afford extra material to just lay on the floor! Puddling added opulence and style, providing the hosts a not-so-subtle way of showing guests just how well off they were.
