Did you know there have been dollhouses for hundreds of years? But initially they were not toys for children. They were called “baby houses” and created as replicas of actual houses. You’d own your own house, in miniature. They were put on display, intended to show off wealth and were definitely for adults..

Baby houses were also instructional, a tool to teach girls and servants how to run a house. Room by room, all the cleaning, cooking and weekly care would be described. Even a tiny copper pot held in the hand was an opportunity to describe its proper uses in recipes, care, and storage.

The height of baby houses was in the Georgian period, though the tradition continued within the aristocracy throughout the nineteenth century. Queen Mary’s house still exists today and is on view in London. Hers was not the playable sort.

I thought I’d treat you to some favorite dollhouse videos so you can see a little magic.

The castle dollhouse is extraordinary. It’s 9 feet tall. I heard about it reading a woman’s blog, clicked a link in the post and that took me to her Etsy store where it turns out I bought my bunting. It’s a small dollhouse world.

A project that grew over decades. Just amazing.

Housed at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Colleen was a silent film start and used her Hollywood money to create this amazing space.

Housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. There are dozens of these rooms.

Documentary Part I

Documentary Part II