Toys of the Belle Époque: Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, 1924
Calling this magnificent work of art a toy seems wrong somehow. However, it does fit into the category of “toy” as it is, indeed, a dollhouse—no matter how elaborate. Created as a gift to Queen Mary (the former Mary of Teck, wife of King George V, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II) from the people of England, the initial idea for the dolls’ house came from Princess Marie Louise who consulted with celebrated architect Sir Edwin Luytens. Sir Edwin agreed to construct the dolls’ house—completing it in 1924. The house stands at over three feet tall and is constructed in a 1:12 scale.
The finest craftsman and artists in England contributed the myriad miniature items in the house—many of them fully functional—and the elaborate murals and paintings. With full plumbing, a flushing lavatory (complete with miniature paper), hot water, and electric light (activated by tiny light switches on the walls), the opulent dolls’ house is meant to freeze a moment in time and show just how a royal residence of the 1920’s should have been run. Writers such as Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling and W. Somerset Maugham penned special miniature books which were bound in scale. In fact, only George Bernard Shaw scoffed at the request to produce a tiny tome.
The bottles in the wine cellar contain the correct amounts of the actual liquor described on the little labels. Drawers open and close. There are even biscuits in the biscuit tins. Many of the objects in the house are miniatures of specific products that were in use at the time. These objects, in most instances, were crafted by the parent company so that their product would be represented in this special gift.
The majority of the paintings, hangings and fabrics are miniature reproductions of Queen Mary’s favorites from the royal residences. Her Majesty was thrilled with the gift which was put on display at 1924-25 British Empire Exhibition. Today, the dolls’ house is on display as part of the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. The Royal Collection web site features a lovely interactive tour of the house which allows you to “walk” through the miniature and look around in ways never before possible. There, you’ll also find a very thorough inventory of several of the special items in the house as well as another interactive section wherein by clicking the arrows, you can open the lids, drawers and such of many of the delicate objects. It’s quite a lot of fun. This video--curiously set to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet--is also a nice look into this wonderful dolls' house.
Calling this magnificent work of art a toy seems wrong somehow. However, it does fit into the category of “toy” as it is, indeed, a dollhouse—no matter how elaborate. Created as a gift to Queen Mary (the former Mary of Teck, wife of King George V, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II) from the people of England, the initial idea for the dolls’ house came from Princess Marie Louise who consulted with celebrated architect Sir Edwin Luytens. Sir Edwin agreed to construct the dolls’ house—completing it in 1924. The house stands at over three feet tall and is constructed in a 1:12 scale. 
The finest craftsman and artists in England contributed the myriad miniature items in the house—many of them fully functional—and the elaborate murals and paintings. With full plumbing, a flushing lavatory (complete with miniature paper), hot water, and electric light (activated by tiny light switches on the walls), the opulent dolls’ house is meant to freeze a moment in time and show just how a royal residence of the 1920’s should have been run. Writers such as Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling and W. Somerset Maugham penned special miniature books which were bound in scale. In fact, only George Bernard Shaw scoffed at the request to produce a tiny tome.
The majority of the paintings, hangings and fabrics are miniature reproductions of Queen Mary’s favorites from the royal residences. Her Majesty was thrilled with the gift which was put on display at 1924-25 British Empire Exhibition. Today, the dolls’ house is on display as part of the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. The Royal Collection web site features a lovely interactive tour of the house which allows you to “walk” through the miniature and look around in ways never before possible. There, you’ll also find a very thorough inventory of several of the special items in the house as well as another interactive section wherein by clicking the arrows, you can open the lids, drawers and such of many of the delicate objects. It’s quite a lot of fun. This video--curiously set to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet--is also a nice look into this wonderful dolls' house.
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