Life In Miniature – A History of Dolls Houses by Nicola Lisle
I was delighted to be offered a copy of this new book, published by Pen and Sword to review, because I am a long time lover of dolls’ houses and all things miniature.
As a small child I was brought up in Devon and from a young age I would beg to be taken to Babbacombe Model Village and on the days that wish was granted, I was in my absolute element. I don’t really know what the appeal was, whether I felt like some sort of Amazonian queen amidst all the the tiny buildings and even tinier people, but anyway, I was hooked, well and truly.
When I was about 7, right at the start of the 1970s, I asked Father Christmas for a dolls’ house. I was really hoping for a Georgian fronted mansion, with a family of dolls, plus servants and of course aaaalllll the furniture.
Santa did me dirty. What I actually got was three lap tray size pieces of plastic in different colours, which slotted together to make some sort of monstrosity that didn’t resemble any house I had ever seen before (or since). No dolls were provided with the “house” and barely any furniture was included.
Ungrateful I know, (come on, I was a little kid!) but I was so disappointed!
I opened my copy of Life In Miniature with a certain amount of trepidation and let me tell you, I was not disappointed in the slightest!
Book of dreams!
My review
This book is an absolute delight, packed full of interesting facts and figures and a selection of truly amazing photographs – it’s worth it just for the pictures alone, in my opinion but of course there is so much more besides those.
As the inside cover says, “dolls’ houses are tiny slices of social history that give us a fascinating glimpse into domestic life over teh last 300 years”. Life In Miniature is a comprehensive guide to the history evolution of the doll’s house, which goes way beyond being a child’s plaything. Many of these treasures are now collectors’ items and fetch vast sums of money at auction and in private sales. (The book even provides some current values).
There is an appendix of places to visit in the UK and overseas, as well as a list of relevant websites and a reading list. This would make an ideal Christmas gift for anyone with even a passing interest in dolls’ houses, because it is so thorough and interesting. The book is not at all dry or stuffy, it’s very well written and engaging and the level of detail is just amazing. Just look!
Summary
In summary – you should buy this book, if you have the slightest interest in history, dolls’ houses, miniature furniture, toys, social commentary or even just nice places to visit when you are out and about.
Life In Miniature has it all. 5/5
Follow Nicola Lisle on Twitter
Leave a Comment