The earliest known dolls' or baby house was made in Bavaria in the mid sixteenth century. Like most of those built in the following 250 years, it was designed not to be played with but to be a perfect reprsetnation in miniature of a princely house and to reflect the wealth of the owner. By the eighteenth century, in many ways a gold age of dolls' houses in Britain, they were adult playthings but children were allowed to join in. It was during the nineteenth century that they finally also became children's toys. This book outlines the history of these intriguing little buildings with illustrations of some fine examples, mnay of which can be seen today.

Table of Contents

Early German baby houses; The Dutch cabinet house; The English baby house in the eighteenth century; the dolls' house in the nineteenth century; The dolls' house after 1900; Further reading; Places to visit

About the Author

Halina Pasierbska has worked for the Victorian and Albert Museum since 1969, spending thirteen years at the National Art Library before in 1982 she transferred to the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. There she became involved in the study of developmental toys, in 1988 setting up the Learing Toys Gallery, which she has since revised.