What a treat the Dolls House exhibition was. Designed and built by Helen Holland over ten years the exhibition represents a country estate and market town c1900. It began when Helen gave a member of the Loder family a miniature model potting shed and greenhouse in 1/12th scale. Many crafts men and women contributed to the exhibition.
There was a lot of reflection from the glass but also the lighting in the exhibition room was very dim. When I first walked into the room my heart sank as I thought there was no way I was going to get decent photos, but after a bit of colour and exposure editing I'm very pleased with them.
The Manor House
A well stocked allotment
Beautiful interiors
Grand dining room
Washing
And Drying
Most grand homes had a flower room designed for sorting and arranging cut flowers,
fresh flowers were a very important part of the decor.
Cottage in the grounds
Apothecary
I love this artists studio
The village shop and Post Office.
Notice the GPO on the red sack. Years ago the postal and telecommunications
service was known as the General Post Office.
My first job on leaving school was as a GPO telephonist.
Local school
Afternoon tea
The children in the attic were playing a prank on grandma in the room below,
dangling a spider down through an opening in the floor.
I think there was some hanky panky going on here!!
Haberdashers
Love the chamber pot!
I once had a real life red dining room, I loved it
The gamekeepers cottage.
I think the gamekeeper has had a few too many glugs of cider!
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading, looking at the photos
or just skimming through! I hope you have enjoyed the miniatures.
∼ Be safe and well ∼
Polly x
People sure do great work on these miniatures. I especially love the ballet studio!
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty one, but a little bit spoilt by the light reflection.
DeleteUtterly charming! You managed to get some great photos too, considering you were shooting in dim light through glass.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debra. I'm very pleased with how they turned out.
DeleteThat's a breathtaking model. The level of detail is amazing, and I love the quirky little touches like the guy on the stepladder checking the chandelier, the undergarment draped over the modesty screen, the mysterious flasks of chemicals and the tiers of assorted suitcases.
ReplyDeleteI admire the artists who create such beautiful detailed miniatures.
DeleteThank you for sharing such a lovely exhibit.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carrie.
DeleteHow glorious! Did you spend hours there? I think you recommended The Heart's Invisible Furies. I very much enjoyed it - but how sad it was too.
ReplyDeleteI went back after we had lunch, there is always so much to see :-). I'm glad you enjoyed the book.
DeleteSuch stunning detail. I’m particularly impressed with the apothecary. Your pictures turned out great, despite the glare.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I went to a dolls house festival where there was a model of an apothecary with working bunsen burners underneath beakers with real bubbling liquid in them.
DeleteWow! What a labor of love and such an amazing project to undertake! It's a treasure, Polly, and I really enjoyed seeing all the photos! Thanks so much for thinking of your readers and sharing this amazing exhibit with us!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jodi, it was a pleasure to share it.
DeletePolly, this is exquisite and you had to be over the moon to see it up close. The details are fascinating. We probably all have our favorite spots but I love the "street" or front scenes, allotment and the washing/drying, especially along with those shops! It must have taken much of a lifetime to do. The other thing -- normally I don't like seeing bodies in the houses -- it seems like they are never quite to scale and they just don't look right. But these are really quite perfect, especially with their positioning and doing their tasks. I'll come back and look at this again!
ReplyDeleteI never tire of visiting dolls house exhibitions. I know what you mean about the figures, some of them that I have aren't truly to scale. The ones here though were all exact.
DeleteI love every scene..The allotment of course..the gardens..the artists studio..so much to admire here♥THank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed them Monique. It was all so gorgeous.
DeletePolly, how nice to meet you. I'm so glad you visited the Garden Spot. I've been away from it for a year, finding that keeping up with two blogs was too much, and now finding that I have rebuild my followers. My other blog is Ann's Dollhouse Dreams. So I am excited to meet you because first you are in England. I love England; in fact, it runs in my blood as I have several lines of my family tree that originated in various parts of the UK, including Ireland and Scotland. I've visited England three times and other two counties each once. Many of great grandparents of several generation ago came to the New World after the Mayflower in 1634-36. There must have been huge migration. I do have a line that goes to a passenger on the Mayflower. Anyway. I dream of my next English visit to begin with the Kensington miniature show. I notice that Jodi Hippler commented, too. It's like we are friends already.
ReplyDeleteHello Ann, thank you for visiting. You do have a strong connection to England. The Kensington Dolls House Festival is wonderful. Jodi does some fabulous work.
DeleteWhat wonderful miniatures and since I'm watching Downton Abbey now, it was even more fun to see these, Polly.
ReplyDeleteHello Beatrice. Oh I loved Downton Abbey. I have visited the house where it was filmed.
DeleteThe Brits really know how to do up a doll's house as well as it surrounding environs! Each photo is a Wealth of information and inventive Storytelling - Thanks for posting these Wonderful photos and for the video clips- the dangling spider was a hoot!
ReplyDelete