Models & Kits

A Chronicle of The Dolls House

Collecting dolls houses, particularly the plastic accessories for Barbie or Cindy, is a relatively recent phenomenon.   Just how long these injection moulded products will last is anyone’s guess, however, recreating houses and their contents in detailed miniature is a hobby that’s been around for centuries in one form or another.
The earliest recorded dolls house – an exquisitely detailed replica of his own fully furnished residence – was claimed by Albert V, Duke of Bavaria, in the mid 1500s.Following his example, others began to commission fine miniature pieces made by expert craftsmen.These were not children’s playthings but were miniature monuments to of taste, wealth and social rank.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, these miniature creations began to be considered appropriate for the children of the wealthy. Not as toys though!They were used as props to educate young girls about the domestic management duties that any well to do young woman would be expected to perform when she became mistress of her own household.    It wasn’t until the mid 19th century that the concept of “childhood” was really developed and the dolls house became more of a plaything. They were still the product of individual, painstaking, craftsmanship however and still restricted to the children of the well heeled middle and upper classes.No contemporary nursery would be complete without one.

The Victorian age saw the beginning of industrial mass production and it was this development that changed the dolls house from crafted heirloom into a genuine child’s toy.The major innovator in this, and many other types of mass produced toy, was Germany, which exported dolls houses and accessories all over the world.

But the upper class obsession with reflecting their lifestyles in miniature persisted.Queen Mary, wife of King George V, had an abiding interest in dolls houses. n the early 1920’s she commissioned one of the foremost architects of the day, Sir Edwin Lutyens, to design a dolls house for the queen’s personal pleasure. The finest craftsmen of the day were involved in the production of all the miniature items for Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, which can still be seen on display in Windsor Castle.
Today, mass production of dolls houses for fashion dolls (and even woodland creatures!) as toys for children runs alongside the hobby of miniature collecting by adults.   Arguably, diorama sets for model figures – be they model soldiers or Sci-Fi characters – are dolls houses too in spirit at least.  There are a growing number of specialist shops, miniatures fairs and dolls house publications to cater for adult enthusiasts who like to recreate past eras in whole houses or specific scenes. Some enjoy making the models, while others collect craftsman-made pieces. The aim is to achieve accurate detail to capture the character and period style, raising what is a hobby to the status of a (very lucrative!) art form.

Accurate Miniatures 1/48 SB2C-4 Helldiver