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300 Years of British architecture and Domestic Life captured in 12 historic dollhouses

Before the plastic massively produced dream houses that can be found anywhere, the dollhouses of the bygone era were rare, meticulously made, elaborate examples that captured the interior style and architecture of their time.

Taken on loan from  the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood in London, The National Building Museum in Washington DC currently holds an exhibition entitled “Small Stories: At Home in a Dollhouse” with a collection of 12 examples of  12 historical dollhouses offering a glimpse into British domestic decor and residential architecture for the past 300 years.

All photos courtesy National Building Museum

 1760: Tate Baby House

Tate Baby House1
Tate Baby House Exterior

 

Tate Baby House
Tate Baby House

 

Tate Baby House2
Tate Baby House Interior

 1830-1839: Killer Cabinet

Killer Cabinet (1830-1839)
A set of rooms in a lacquered cabinet made in England in the 1830s.

 1890: Amy Miles House

Amy Miles House 1890
Reminiscent  and personal late Victorian home

“The homes show developments in architecture and design, encompassing country mansions, the Georgian town house, suburban villas, newly-built council estates, and high-rise apartments. Many of the houses, their furniture and dolls have been specially conserved for the exhibition, with around 1,900 objects being restored over two years in the V&A Museum’s conservation department,” says the press release at  Museum’s website.

 1907: Betty Pinney House

Betty Pinney House (1907)
Betty Pinney House (1907)

 

1933: Peggy Lines House

Peggy Lines House (1933-1936)
Peggy Lines House (1933-1936)

1935: Whiteladies House

Whiteladies House (1935)
Whiteladies House Exterior with pool

“Small Stories explores the history of British domestic life and provides a miniature-sized, up-close view of developments in architecture and design, from a Georgian town house and suburban mansion, to a 1960s high-rise and a Le Corbusier-style white villa. Displayed chronologically, most of the houses come complete with period furniture and interior fittings. Each house is displayed to reflect a particular moment in history. Visitors can use buttons alongside the cases to activate the audio narration and light up the characters as they talk.” says the press release of the Museum’s site.

 

Whiteladies House (1935)1
The Living Room
Whiteladies House (1935)3
Bedroom

 

Whiteladies House (1935) 4
Bathroom

1960: Jenny’s Home

Jenny's Home (1960s)
Jenny’s Home (1960s)

 

Jenny's Home (1960s)
Jenny's Home (1960s)...
Kitchen

 

Jenny's Home (1960s)2
Jenny’s room

 

Jenny's Home (1960s)4
Bedroom

Late 1980s to late 1990s: Hopkinson House

Hopkinson House (late 1980s to late 1990s)1
Hopkinson House Exterior

 

Hopkinson House (late 1980s to late 1990s)
Hopkinson House from the inside

 

Hopkinson House (late 1980s to late 1990s)
Bedroom

 

Hopkinson House (late 1980s to late 1990s) 2
Hopkinson House (late 1980s to late 1990s)

2001: Kaleidoscope House

Kaleidoscope House (2001)
Kaleidoscope House (2001)

Small Stories: At Home in a Dollhouse will be on view from May 21, 2016, through January 22, 2017.In case you are visiting DC Washington or you live there and you are fascinated with these elaborate dollhouses don’t skip the ongoing  exhibition in the National Museum of building.