Summer in Dollhouse Land

It is Summer – not just in the ‘real’ world…

My dolls decided to have a barbecue

but they were even  more excited to be able to get out of the house and start exploring the beautiful ‘world’ of ‘My Dolly’s Home‘.

I recently acquired this wonderfully illustrated book, published in 1921. It shows different rooms and outdoor areas of a house in which to re-enact a story – a story about a girl who finds a paper doll and then finds herself small enough to follow the doll into her little world. She later discovers that this has been a dream but her parents give here a picture book where the same house is represented, hence the title:

I have not been able to find information on Margaret Stannard, the illustrator – if you know anything, please do get in touch! It really is a magical book, with double page spreads beginning at the front gate, progressing to the bedrooms, down the back stairs to the kitchen, and out to the garden, an orchard, and a garage. In my copy only the mother and the cook paper dolls have survived – ephemera is ‘lasting only for a short time’, after all. I am sure my dollhouse dolls will have much fun within this.

For more information on the history of paper dolls’ houses see this interesting article on the V & A Museum of Childhood’s website.