Read Up on the World’s Famous Dollhouses

There are many books written on famous dollhouses around the world. Reading a book about well known dollhouses allows you to peruse the photos at length and get into the real history behind each dollhouse. Most famous dollhouses have fascinating histories behind them, the people that built them and the artisans that created the miniature furniture and accessories for the interiors.

A wonderful book on what is known as America’s Doll House, the Faith Bradford dollhouse, that is displayed in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History is America’s Doll House: the Miniature World of Faith Bradford by William L. Bird. Published in 2010 by Princeton Architectural Press, the book tells the history of the dollhouse which was created by the Washington D.C. librarian, Faith Bradford. The five story dollhouse took almost twenty five years to complete including creating the 1,354 miniatures in the 23
 rooms. In the book you will find out about the fantasy world that Faith created for her dollhouse including the detailed lives of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doll and their family which included ten children, two grandparents, over twenty household pets, and staff. A manuscript about the Doll family accompanied the donation of the dollhouse which was donated in 1951, containing the family’s household habits, preferences, and a household inventory. The author William L. Bird, who is curator at the Smithsonian, provides dazzling photographs of the house and its contents, and interesting commentary on the house and its creator.

Another not to be missed dollhouse book is by Lucinda Lambton which portrays probably the most famous dollhouse in the world, The Queen’s Doll House. Entitled The
Queen’s Dolls’ House: A Dollhouse Made for Queen Mary, the hardcover book tells the story of the royal dollhouse that is on permanent display at Windsor Castle. This amazing dollhouse features running water, working elevators, electricity, a full wine cellar, and miniature furniture and accessories created by artists from all over the world. The author provides detailed descriptions of how the dollhouse was built and furnished with stories about the craftspeople and artists that contributed to this miniature wonder. There are gorgeously detailed color photographs of the interior of this dollhouse which was commissioned for Queen Mary in the 1920’s and designed by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. If you never make it to Windsor Castle to see the original you can still enjoy the dollhouse in all its wonder at your leisure within the pages of this book.