Queen Mary’s Dolls House Library

Queen Mary’s Dolls House – In The Beginning

Queen Mary, wife of King George V. was an obsessive collector of ‘tiny craft.’She especially liked objects that had a connection to the Royal family. By her late 40s, the Queen had amassed a valuable collection of miniature items.

Princess Marie Louise, George V’s cousin, and Queen Victoria’s granddaughter was at an “at home” one Sunday afternoon at the height of the social season. Another party-goer was Edwin Lutyens, a leading architect of the day. The Princess later claimed that ‘on the impulse of the moment’ she mentioned that it would be nice if the Queen had some sort of large cabinet for all her diminutive treasures.

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Margaret Clough’s Tudor dolls house bedchamber

The Tudor Bedchamber

The bed was the largest and most expensive piece of furniture in the Tudor home, its size and quality denoted the owner’s wealth. Everything else in the bedchamber was secondary.

The wealthy purchased four-poster beds, which were elaborately carved, with a canopy and valance of embroidered material. Heavy curtains allowed for privacy (a new concept advanced by the Tutor gentry) and kept out the cold. Edgings of fur were common to hold in warmth; “ermine for the King; squirrel for the middle classes.”

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The Hartnell’sKensington House has a side portico above a wine cellar. Found on the Daily Mail

The Hartnell’s Kensington Doll House

Tim and Angela Hartnell, owners of Anglia Dolls House in Norfolk, modeled the Kensington House on an 1815 Regency property. Their attention to detail is paramount. To protect the 1:12 scale visitors from being exposed to the scurrying and clatter of the miniature staff bringing food to their table, each elegant reception room is entered from a servants’ corridor.

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The kitchen in a cabinet dollhouses found on All About Dollhouses

Xandra Dekker’s Cabinet Dollhouse

Xandra Dekker’s “All About Dollhouses”

The Dutch to English machine translation of the caption under this blogs cover photo reads:

“ON THIS WEBSITE YOU FIND EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DOLLHOUSE HOBBY, MINIATURE, DOLLHOUSES, WORKSHOPS AND MORE … “

This is not an overstatement. “All About Dollhouses and Miniatures” is outstanding. The information is primarily European, which puts artisans doing period projects closer to the source than we US bloggers seem to provide.

Maybe it just seems that way, because Ms. Dekker is focused on one geographic area, while I find myself flitting all over the map and through the centuries.

It is obvious that Ms. Dekker has done her research, giving one a true sense of authenticity. There are so many links to other great sites. Check out Ms. Dekker’s “Blogs I Follow” for access to more useful information.

Travel Blog

Xandra Dekker also has a travel blog, with many of the posts about tropical climes. That’s understandable, I guess if you have ever experienced winters in Northern Europe. I’m sorry if I sound smug, but that’s the way it is for escapees from Cleveland who found paradise in Florida.

Enjoy exploring both of Xandra Dekker’s blogs.

Susan Downing, with Patrick Owens

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I invite you to visit my Etsy Shop where I offer many accessories and pieces of furniture in 1:12 scale.