Gottschalk? OMG!! Not Really?

The birthday fairy has struck again!

I put in a bid on some dollhouse furniture because I love the Arts and Craft style of furniture.

When it arrived and I unpacked it I realized that I had been given another gift.

This lovely Arts and Crafts set was manufactured when Arts and Crafts furniture was in style the first time.

I hadn't realized that I was bidding on the real thing. The genuine article. Straight from the horses mouth.



This lovely living room set, complete with tobacco felt rub and wall art is 100 years old. It is Gottschalk. Made in Germany before the first World War.

Each piece of furniture is trimmed with a fine gold line. The upholstery on the settee and rocking chair is original - green with a fine yellow stripe.



Some of the chairs are missing stretcher bars, and the clock seems to be missing the pendulum, but I couldn't be more thrilled to own this wonderful set of antique furniture.


It will be perfect in my antique dollhouse.

Can't you see it in the living room - lower left corner - with the pillars.



Hmmmm. I wonder what else will show up for this house. We will have to wait and see.

My birthday is over, but Christmas is coming.


Hugs,
Susan

Two generation Schoenhut Dollhouse

A few years ago my son asked me why I had to go to several thrift shops right before Christmas.

"Well, David," I said. "Santa hides my Christmas presents in thrift shops all over the city and it's my job to find them."

The next thrift shop we hit offered up a rare 1600-era barbie outfit on a cheap plastic doll.  I bought it for 50¢. The outfit sells on eBay for $150.00. This was just one of the presents Santa had hidden for me that year.



Apparently, it works for birthdays too.

A few weeks ago a dollhouse showed up on Toronto Kijiji just in time for my birthday. How did the birthday fairy know I was craving an early Schoenhut  dollhouse? I don't know. Maybe Santa told her.

It has a few condition problems, but nothing I can't live with.

I did a little research on Schoenhut houses and found that they made over 80 different styles in the late 20's and early 30's. The earlier ones opened on the sides, as mine does.

It is four rooms, two on each side, and a full attic.

This is one of the smaller houses made by Schoenhut. Tootsie Toy furniture is about the right scale, so I believe it is a bit smaller than 3/4" scale - maybe 1/2" scale.

All the inside windows have the original lace and cardboard valances. The lace is brown, but intact.

The living room has a gorgeous staircase.

Unfortunately the outside windows on the living room side of the house have had a less than ideal existence.

 Maybe I can find replacements or reproductions. Does anyone know?

 I love the locks that hold the sides closed.

The dollhouse came with the Tootsie Toy furniture shown here. This furniture is from the same period as the dollhouse

Also included was the plastic furniture shown here. This furniture is from the early 1960's

And the wonderful 1960's Marx furniture shown here. Plus one orphaned 1950's Strombecker lamp.

So, this was a two generation dollhouse. Purchased new in the late 20's or early 30's when my mother would have been a little girl, and brought back to life in the late 50's early 60's when I was a little girl.

This idea delights me. My mother would have cherished this dollhouse when she was a child. And I would have cherished it a generation later.






This beautiful house did not belong to my mother or to me in the past, but it could have, and it belongs to me now. I plan to keep it safe and pass it along to a new generation who will appreciate it as I do.

Hugs,

Susan

Bob Flagg's wacky world.

When we last saw Bob Flagg he was in big trouble. He had just reunited with his wife and daughter after suffering from a mysterious amnesia,  when a bride showed up and said that Bob had asked her to marry him. And, Bob had heartlessly left her at the alter.

After getting the kids off the roof and the nosy relatives back in the house Betty turns to her parents for comfort.

Betty Flagg is devastated. How could her loving, wonderful husband want to marry another woman? She couldn't believe it.

"There, there," says Mr. Drapeau. patting Betty's back comfortingly. "Bob says he doesn't remember. Why don't you sit down with him and talk this out. I know that Bob loves you."

"Oh, Daddy, how can I ever trust him again," sobs Betty.

"I told you not to marry him," Betty's mother says, glaring at Bob. "I knew he wasn't good enough for you."

"Now, Dorothy," says Mr. Drapeau. "Bob's a good man. Don't make things worse for our girl."

"Betty, listen to your father." Bob pleads, "I don't know this woman. Honest!! And will you tell Patsy's dog to stop growling at me."

Bucky is standing between Betty and this strange man who is making her unhappy. He won't let him hurt her.


"Bob," says the bride pulling on his arm. "There people are a bore. Let's go. The minister is waiting."


"What ... No, I can't marry you. I'm already married." Bob is so confused.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bob," says the Bride, pulling on his arm. "You are marrying me. Get a grip!"

As Betty's mother steers her into the house a stranger comes round the corner of the house.


"Hey there!" he says to Mr. Drapeau. " A Mountie and a man in livery riding a bicycle told me that a bride had come to this house."




"Yes, she is over there," says Mr. Drapeau. "She has been telling us that my son-in-law wanted to marry her. My daughter is very upset."

"I am so sorry," says the stranger. "The bride is my daughter and she thinks that everyman she meets wants to marry her. Your son-in-law must be her latest  groom. I can tell you without even meeting him that he is totally blameless"

"Bridie! There you are!" says the stranger. "Your sister, Ellen, and I have come to take you home."

"Hi Daddy. Hi Ellen. Is it time to cut the cake?"


"Yes dear. Let's go. Say goodbye to these nice people."

"Okay! Come on Ellen. Let's go. I love cake!" And with that Bridie and her family left.

"Mom!" says Betty, "Bob was telling the truth all along. He didn't want to marry another woman. Oh how could I have misjudged him so."

Betty doesn't notice, but the peanut gallery is back. They must have heard the stranger arrive.

"Bob!! I am so sorry for having doubted you." Betty ran to Bob's arms. "Can you forgive me?"

"Betty, you have nothing to apologize for." says Bob, giving her a hug. "I am so sorry I caused you this pain."

"It's not your fault Bob." says a happy Betty. "You had amnesia."

"How do you like that?  says Bill to Philip in the doorway. "He got off Scott free!"

"I knew my Bob was a good boy." says Mrs. Flagg Sr. "Just like his sainted father."

But the bride and the stranger and the nurse have stirred something in Bob. He is starting to remember things that happened during his amnesia.


What does Bob remember?

Where did he meet the bride?

Why does the nurse seem so familiar?

Does he realize he is going to be a father again?

What exactly happened when he was missing?

Stay tuned.



Hugs,

Susan

I can't believe summer is almost over!!

Summer flew by, but I got a lot done, traveled a lot, and had a lot of fun.

If you are still having summer in your dollhouse pop over to Left Coast Mini. She has a wonderful give-away. I shouldn't tell you about it because I want to win it, but to be fair I am sharing.

This would look great on the patio of Mindolton Mansion - if it had a patio.


It's a gorgeous little item.







Now that summer is over I am hoping to get some quality blog time. I have several new treasures to share with you and I seem to remember leaving poor Bob Flagg in a bit of a pickle with his loved ones,

I hope we can bail him out. He was always such a good guy, but how did he get amnesia? Head injuries can be very serious. Is that what caused the amnesia? Maybe it affected his personality too.

Who is this mysterious bride?

Will Betty forgive Bob?

Will they be able to get Patsy and her cousins off the roof?

Will the family be able to get back in the house?

Will the delivery man deliver more people?




Watch for more Flagg time. Coming soon.

Hugs,
Susan

A real castle in the air - Daphne takes lots of photos!

Daphne is traveling down the California coast on US. Highway 1 towards the Hearst Castle near San Simeon. The view is breathtaking along the twisty ocean road.

Daphne is taking lots of pictures so she can show the mini-peeps at home.

Seals sun themselves on the beaches along the way. They are resting up for a hard, cold winter and they are molting their old winter coats to make way for new ones.

The first site of the Castle is breathtaking. It is set way up on a hill and looks totally out of place in the wild and barren countryside. Zebras run with the cattle in the fields of the estate. They are descendants of the Zebras from Randolph Hearst's private zoo. (Daphne missed that picture - too bad.)

Wikipedia tells us:

"Hearst Castle is a mansion on the Central Coast of California, a National Historic Landmark in California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst—a newspaper magnate from 1919 until 1947. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to the state of California. Since that time it has been maintained as state historic park where the estate and its considerable collection of art and antiques are open for public tours. Despite its location far from any urban center, the site attracts roughly one million visitors per year.

"Hearst formally named the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" ("The Enchanted Hill"), but usually called it "the ranch". The castle and grounds are also sometimes referred to as "San Simeon" without distinguishing between the Hearst property and the Unincorporated area of the same name."


Daphne loves the pool:

And, she wishes that she and Colette and some of the other little peeps would be invited to stay in the magnificent guest house shown here.

The bed is made and ready and the dinner dress is set out in the ensuite bathroom. Bathrooms are a funny place to have closets, don't you think? But, then again, the steam would get the wrinkles out of the clothes.
 

The ceiling of the guest house is beautiful!!

And the view from the patio of the ocean and surrounding pasture lands is incredible!

There are lots of doll-like peeps around, Daphne notices, But they are very large and colorless and they seem very un-bendy.


She takes some pictures anyway. The big doll peeps are very beautiful.

This one is relaxing by the pool.
















And these three seem to have a secret.

This one, who lights the private movie theater, is a bit imposing.

And this poor peep seems to be laboring under a misapprehension of some sort. Daphne is very confused but takes a shot anyway.

The great hall even has these strange unbending peeps embedded in the mantle.


Daphne wishes that Colette were here so she could ask her about it.

The formal dining room is very impressive and very castle-like.

It even has the knights banners. Something about banners reminds Daphne of home. What is it? Oh, yes. The Flagg family and all their relatives.

Daphne  can't wait to show them her pictures.

Back outside again they get another wonderful view of the ocean.

The last stop on the tour is the inside pool with its 18 carrot gold mosaics.

"Wow!' exclaims Daphne. "This is even bigger than Colette's hot tub."





We hope you enjoyed the tour. I wonder what will happen next.

Hugs,

Susan