1895 Antique Doll House

I spent the weekend at my sister's and we had a happy hour or two furnishing one of her antique dollhouses with furniture from her collection.

This house was a Christmas present for a little girl in 1895 and was displayed each succeeding year near the family's Christmas tree for the next several generations. Eventually the newer members of the family discontinued this tradition and my sister was lucky enough to add it to her collection.

The house was originally built with four rooms. The kitchen was added a few years later

Prince Albert, a recently purchased Christmas decoration from the Victoria and Albert museum, is visiting.

The family is waiting in the parlour for the Prince to come down to tea. They are excited to have such a prestigious isitor.

The mother dog and her puppies are playing in the dining room. The furniture was made by Tynietoy in the 1920s. They will be shooed out if the maid catches them.

The children are playing in the nursery totally unconcerned about the royal visitor in the room next door

In the kitchen addition the cook and the maid are listening for the tea bell. The kettle is boiling so the water will be nice and hot for the Prince's tea.

My sister got this lovely tin stove at the Paris flea market last fall.

Someone has left his tools on the dresser.

This is such a wonderful antique doll's house

The family is waiting for Prince Albert to come down for tea

What could be keeping him, Mother wonders

Prince Albert is wondering why tea hasn't been announced. He is getting peckish.

In two of the  rooms there is fun and play

In the other two worry and expectation.  But I'm sure it will all work out. Thanks for visiting!

Small Stories - V&A Dollhouses at the National Building Museum in Washington DC

A few weeks ago I visited the National Building Museum in Washington DC for a special show titled Small Stories: At Home in a Dollhouse.

This is a collection of 12 doll's Houses from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood.

It was wonderful to see these exquisite houses in person. I had often gazed longingly at their pictures in books, so seeing them in person was like walking in to a room and seeing Paul McCartney or Benedict Cumberbatch standing there.

Below are some pictures I took at the exhibit, but to see much better pictures go to this article:
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/national-building-museum-dollhouses. 

My photos have been taken through the protective glass surrounding the houses and the interior lighting makes everything look green in the photos. Still, I am delighted to have my own pictures of these rock star houses. 

The Building Museum itself is a beautiful space.