The Doll House Book
Fascinating and Wonderful Creations, Accurate in Every Detail--Except They're SmallFor centuries, dollhouses have captivated children and grownups alike. The Dollhouse Book presents a gorgeous array of these homes, shops and castles, accurate in every detail except they're small. The dollhouse has evolved from its seventeenth-century origins as playthings for privileged youngsters into the stunning works of art that exist today. Here, Stephanie Finnegan, a lifelong doll devotee and widely published dollhouse expert, takes us on an illustrated tour through history and around the globe to view firsthand the most celebrated and intriguing works from the greatest dollhouse designers.Selected from private collections and museums the world over, these fascinating creations come to life through hundreds of beautiful photographs, detailed description and insightful commentary examining the intricacies of every house. Running faucets that turn on and off, tables that show wear from years of family dinners, leather-bound books with pages of flawlessly miniscule text--all combine to create lifelike environments that spark the imaginations of young and old.Perhaps most striking are the period re-creations, miniature renderings that capture the essence of an age, like the Canal House and its vision of Dutch life circa 1760, the dollhouse of Caroline Stettheimer that embodies the spirit of Jazz Age New York, or the rooms of Narcissa Thorne, virtual snapshots from the scrapbook of European history. But more than just an exploration of the architectural styles of different countries and historical periods, The Dollhouse Book revels in the fun and the fanciful. Visit the dazzling Fairy Castle of Colleen Moore. Indulge in the playful glamour of a miniature Parisian discotheque. Take a rare peek at Shillmans--an elaborate homage to the grand department stores of old that remains hidden on the bookshelves of Washington, D.C. resident Elwood Gibson.From the White House in Miniature, to a corral from the Old West, to a re-creation of a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, The Dollhouse Book explores the big stories behind these small wonders.