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
The story goes that the idea for Titania’s Palace occurred on a warm day in the Spring of 1907 when Sir Nevile Wilkinson was sketching in the woods behind his manor, Mount Merrion House. His daughter Guendolen, age 3, played nearby and suddenly cried out that a fairy ran under the roots of a tree. She felt sorry they had to live underground in damp caves and asked her father to have a proper house built for them, which led to the building of Tatiana’s Palace.
(more…)Categories: dollhouses, Great Dollhouses, Victorian
Dominique’s Maison Garfield on the Humpty Dumpty House website
The Humpty Dumpty Dollhouse is a delightful site owned by the French miniaturist Dominique. Her skill in creating miniature items – I especially like her shoes – is amazing. Dominique’s taste in dollhouses goes from the traditional, the Victorian Maison Garfield to the bizarre Voodoo Boat, the Humpty Dumpty Dollhouse and the Harry Potter Dragons, the Asimuthe type. The machine translation from French to English may be a bit clunky. The photography is not. And be sure to check out Dominique’s Tips and Miniatures.
Gottschalk Victorian Blue Roof Dollhouse found on Ruby Lane
It is a huge subject, of course. I thought I would do a series of posts. The best approach seemed to categorize by time period, then by room or object. And I learned from hanging around Dougless Bitler at the Cabbage Patch (way back in the day), that authenticity is critical!
Categories: Victorian
Artist Thomas Burke of Wilmington, DE, built this luxury 9-foot tall birdhouse for George Lucas.
I was searching the Internet for interesting dollhouses and was excited to see this 19th-century “miniature.” It looked huge compared to the builder posing with it. I was disappointed to read the caption and discover that it was a custom birdhouse given to George Lukas of Star Wars fame as a Christmas present. This is a departure from the dollhouse miniature posts I usually, but it’s a beautiful construction, built by a talented craftsman. And it’s a pleasant story
I found this article on the Skywalker Ranch Birdhouse on Woodworking Network.
Categories: amazing miniatures, artisans, Victorian
