Reference Library
Building a Library on Antique Dolls' Houses
the Rutherford B. Hayes house, the special house from the Milwaukee Museum that belonged to the Uihlein family (who owned Schlitz Beer and whom I met every summer in Lake Placid, NY). $5
3. Bliss Toys and Dollhouses - by Blair Whitton - pub.1979
There are 36 pages with black and white photos illustrating houses, furniture, toy blocks, trains, boats, fire engines, circus, church, pianos for children, stables, arks, games and tool chests. These wooden toys with lithographed papers were known from the late19th century and were made to reflect that period of time. $5
4. Vom Marktstand Zum Supermarkt - by Manfred Bachmann and Wolfram Metzger Pub. 1992
Although this book is written in German, it is just filled with colored photographs of the toy shops. I remembering having to order this book in Germany as I never saw it for sale in the U.S. Before viewing the toy shops, one sees black and white photos of people in real shops around 1900. Then you see photos of buildings where the shops were located! Now we can better understand how the shops were made into toys! You will see the "Butcher Shop" of hanging meats outside on the front of a building and then framed in glass. (English) We can see the 18th century market stands! The colored photos are marvelous- showing every kind of shop possible! The contents and dolls in the shops are all original and so complete! This is a soft covered book...very well done! SOLD
5. Collecting Dolls' Houses and Miniatures - by Nora Earnshaw, pub. 1989
An interesting book showing many dolls' houses and furnishings not seen in other books. There are many photos from auction houses of rare items. Of special interest is the Batty House constructed in 1908 which took 22 years to complete and which has many special features. Three outstanding dollhouse dolls are shown with molded military helmets. Chapters on purchasing, repairing and restoring of a dolls' house, etc. $7
6. Miniatures - The Smithsonian - Illustrated by Library of Antiques, prepared by the Cooper- Hewitt Museum.
Advice to collecting and what one should do and be aware of is excellent. SOLD
7. Family Dolls' Houses - by Vivien Greene-pub. 1973. Vivien Greene was well known as the author of 18th and 19th Century Dolls' Houses. She was President of the Doll Club of Great Britain. She had visited well over 800 dolls' houses and then chose 31 of them for this book. The houses dated from 1715 to 1890. An excellent reference to study early houses. $10
Excellent and creative photography with fold outs of houses that expose grand interiors. The front cover features a marvelous interior but wallpapers are questionable, many dolls redressed, etc. Another fold out of a brick dolls' house- very questionable authenticity. Beautiful photos of rare pieces taken as a room setting and then featured separately for close viewing. More than 350 colored photographs. The author, Olivia Bristol, was the department head of "Dolls, Dolls' houses, and Miniatures" at Christie's in London for many years. SOLD
9. The Collector's Guide to Dollhouses and Dollhouse Miniatures - by Marian O'Brien. Pub. 1974. There are 230 black and white photos. Chapters on room boxes, paper (cardboard) houses, houses that were not identified by name yet- Mystery Houses, Hacker Houses, Bliss, Schoenhut, Bliss, Home Made Houses- like Manard Manor, others include Chestnut Hill, artists of the early 1970's, Mel Prescott, miniatures by Forslund, Ted Norton, and some information on Tynietoy. Furniture and accessories of soft metal, porcelain and glass were also discussed. $7
10. Furnished Dollhouses - 1880's-1890's - by Dian Zillner and Patty Cooper. Pub. 2001. 250 pages. The book was written with several collectors using their collections as resource material for the book. Home made houses from 1880 are featured with excellent photography of furnished rooms and individual pieces are illustrated too. Price guide is included. The book progresses in this manner up to 1980. Since this book uses personal collections, it is quite unique in content. $15
11. Collector's History of Dolls' Houses - by Constance King- Pub. 1983. - 598 pages! This is a large thick book covering German cabinet houses, Dutch houses and eighteenth and nineteenth houses. The book is profusely illustrated with black and white plus colored photographs. A good book for history and to study interiors of houses. Good resource for knowing how houses were furnished at various periods of time. Some new material not seen in other dolls' house books. $20
12. The Genius of Moritz Gottschalk - Evelyn Ackerman-Pub. 1994. The book discusses the history of the Gottschalk Company, the 1885 catalog that illustrated several of the Blue Roof Houses, kitchens, shops, stables, forts. Then a large portion of the book is on the early Blue Roof Houses and then the Red Roof Houses. Photos in the book are from various collectors. Excellent colored photos, 206 pages. SOLD
14. The Encyclopedia of Collectibles-by the TIME-LIFE BOOKS -Alexandria, VA. Pub. 1978. This book was one of a series written on many subjects. This particular book was "D"- so topics ranged from Dogs to Fishing Tackle. Dolls and Dolls' Houses were discussed in this particular book. The section on dolls' houses is 18 pages. The majority of photos and text are from the Frances Claytor collection. The story and photos are great. It was this particular collection that went to auction at Bertoia's Auction House in the 1990s. $8
16. The Ultimate Dolls' House Book - by Faith Eaton. Pub. 1994. This English author has written this book in a style that is interesting to read. There are fold out pages where the dolls' house is on the main page and then it folds out to illustrate the interior. Objects and furniture are pulled out of the main photo and a written description is written next to the photo. Excellent state of the art photography adds a great deal to the pleasure of reading the book. Some of the most famous early houses are are shown in great detail. $10
17. Dolls and Dolls' Houses by Constance King, Pub.1977. This book is rarely seen. It is not the thick one with the orange book jacket that this author also wrote around the same time. There are chapters written on the early German cabinets, the famous English dolls' houses, Continental houses and American dolls' houses. Some unusual photos not seen in other books. The cover of this book has two dolls seated at a table with a tea set; fireplace in the background with green/blue wallpaper. The price tag for this book sold in London was $153; SOLD
18. Dolls' & Doll Houses - by Flora Jacobs and Estrid Faurholt - pub.1967. Although the book is mainly in black and white photos, this is an excellent book for the collector of dolls' houses. Flora has made up groups of photos and put them in categories. These categories have been very helpful in identifying items- old foods, dishes, stoves, kitchen utensils, desks, holders of books, beds, washing and bathing, cradles and carriages, hall furniture, cleaning equipment, different sewing stands, fireplaces, candlesticks and tables, lighting fixtures, telephones and thermometers, chairs, clocks, etageres, plant stands, pianos etc. Many houses are discussed also. $20
19. Toy Museum of Nuremberg - (The city of Nuremburg Toy Museum- The Lydia Bayer Museum-Pub. 1978) - This soft cover book has just over 100 pages of all toys in the museum with a concentration on dollhouse items. There are about 20 pages on the history of toys and their influence in our culture. Many colored photos and the book is written in English!!! SOLD
20. Little Houses By the Side of the Road (Commercial and Unique Dollhouses)- by Florence Theriault. Published-2001. This book has wonderful photography and was published by the Theriault Auction House. All the items were for sale at the auction. It features many Gottschalk houses and Gottschalk furniture. In addition there are some lovely early home made houses, Christian Hacker houses, furnished room boxes, French furniture, lithograph furniture, Waltershausen furniture, chandeliers, carriages, Bliss houses, Gutter houses, kitchens and shops. SOLD
21. PuppenZubehor - by Elke Gottschalk- Pub.1992. Here is another book written in German and English as a hard cover book with all the accessories for dolls' houses. So many items to view with photographs and so many categories; i.e.- luggage, purses, bathing and washing machines, carriages, cradles, beds, picture frames, plant stands, figurines, glassware, animals, birdcages, light fixtures, lithophanes, sewing machines, fireplaces, stoves, teacarts, shelf units, telephone, clocks and much more. SOLD
22. Antique & Collectible Dollhouses and Their Furnishings - By Dian Zillner and Patty Cooper, Pub- 1998. Several chapters are divided into categories on lithograph houses (Bliss etc.), English houses (Lines, Silber & Fleming etc.), German houses (Gottschalk, Hacker etc.), Mystery houses and others. All wood, metal, paper and cardboard furniture is discussed too. SOLD
23. Doll Kitchens 1800-1890 by Eva Stille. Pub. 1988. I have two books; a hard cover edition written in German and the other is a soft cover written in English. This is a great reference book to know what goes into a kitchen for various time periods. If you are furnishing a dolls' house kitchen for a specific time period; e.g. 1880- this book can help you find the correct kitchen pieces! $10 each
24. Miniaturia by O'Donnell, Pub. 1943. This book is different than all the other books on miniatures. Several collections are discussed that have incredible miniature objects dating back to the fifth century. Even Colleen Moore's dolls' house which has chandeliers of diamonds is a unique collection of miniatures. Precious metals, including sterling silver, are discussed including William Meyers silver. The early dealers and craftsman that most of us have never heard of are shown with their pieces. This is a fascinating book on antique miniature objects. $20
25. This Side of Yesterday in Miniature by Catherine MacLauren. Pub. 1975. The author was the first editor of Nutshell News. This is a soft covered book whereby the author just asked collectors to send in photos of miniatures and dolls' houses, both new and old. Photos are labeled with the owner's name and where they are from ....Many collectors of that era are now gone, but their collections will long be remembered. $7
26. The Vivien Greene Dolls' House Collection by Vivien Greene and Margaret Towner. Pub. 1995. Vivien Greene was well known as a collector of very early dolls' houses and as an author of books related to her search for 18th century dolls' houses. She had a museum in Oxford, England called the "Rotunda" which housed her collection. This book has each of her houses photographed, documented and described in detail. The photographs are well done and can be a great asset in learning about rare early houses. The book covers from 1700-1900.This is a fine reference book and since the museum closed and its contents were sent to auction, this book becomes a valuable asset. The book sells for $20
27. The last of the books pub. by Weingarten in 1995 was Faszinierende Puppenstuben by Markhoff & Schneiders. The red cloth covered book has a miniature scene on the front and has exceptional photography of room boxes, shops, kitchens etc. There are exquisite photos of Grodnal dolls with early furniture, close ups of fine furnishings and of wallpaper too! There is plenty of the early wood grained furniture with paper mache dolls, lots of Rock and Graner and then of course, there is plenty of the Boulle Furniture! Several kitchens are shown with good close up photos of accessories. Plenty of ideas for decorating your dolls' house! Numerous shops with all sorts of goodies! The book is written in German. SOLD
28. Schone Alte Puppenstuben - by Johanna Kunz and Ulrike Schneiders. Pub. by Weingarten. The cover on this book is Boulle furniture with a china doll. This is part of the collection of Johanna Kunz, pub. in 1986. The colored photos are wonderful and plentiful! Room boxes, shops, dolls' houses and kitchens are shown. Lovely porcelains are also shown with exquisite detail. The book is written in German. SOLD English translation available for SOLD
29. Puppenkuche und Puppenherd - by Sabine Reinelt. Pub. by Weingarten in 1985.
30. Dolls In Miniature by Evelyn Ackerman. Pub. 1991. This is a book about dollhouse dolls. The photography is wonderful! It is very descriptive, but doesn't give identification of the doll companies that made most of the dollhouse dolls. (more information has been forthcoming since this book was written). A history on when and how wax dolls, wooden dolls, porcelain dolls and bisque dolls were made is very informative for doll collectors. This book is the most comprehensive study on dollhouse dolls at the present time. SOLD
31. Lexikon der Puppenstuben und Puppenhauser - by Marianne Cieslik and Swantje Kohler. Published 2003. The text is in German. Numerous photos! This book is a great resource to identify makers of dollhouse furniture, accessories and houses, kitchens, room boxes and shops. Photos are labeled so a great deal of information can be gathered from the photos. A great emphasis on Christian Hacker and Moritz Gottschalk houses and shops. SOLD
32. Dollhouse and Miniature Dolls - by Marcia and Bob Tubbs.
33. Moritz Gottschalk 1892- 1931 - by Verlag Marianne Cieslik. This book was pub. in 2000 and is written in German and English. The photos are outstanding showing the great assortment of houses, kitchens stables, shops, room boxes and dollhouse furniture made by Gottschalk. The photos are from their catalogs which show a tremendous variety, some of which show a tremendous variety, some of which have not been seen. This book is an excellent way to document houses and furnishings. SOLD
34. Zubehor fur Puppenstuben - by Jenny Wunderlich. Published by Ciesliks - 1991. This is a soft covered picture book of wonderful dollhouse accessories and furniture. Some of the photos came from different auction houses and others are estimates from the author on what the items are worth. Although it is written in German, one need only to look at the photos which are great in themselves. The estimates are in the old German currency- DM (Deuchmark) which was lower than the dollar. A rough idea would be to take a Deuchmark amount in the book and multiply by.75. That would give you the value at that time in that country. I find certain items are more expensive in some countries as collectors favor certain items SOLD
35. So Lebten die alten Puppen by Claire Hennig - Published1979. [This book is written in German] This is a soft covered large book with the most incredible photography which covers doll, furnished room boxes, a section on just clocks, another just on parlor stoves, another on chandeliers, beautiful photos on lithophanes, and lots of lovely ivory, pieces of porcelain, Austrian bronze animals, double pages on birdcages, miniature sterling silver, pages of soft metal accessories, lots of small dolls. SOLD
36. The Small World of Antique Dolls' Houses - by Flora Jacobs. Published in 2005.
37. Mansions In Miniature - by Leonie von Wilckens
This book was published in 1978 do most of the pictures are in black and white. The famous large dolls' houses in Germany that are in the Nuremburg Museum in Nuremburg, Germany are illustrated in color. The photos are large and cover the early doll's houses of England and Germany. Very nice details shown. $15
38. Dolls' Houses In America - by Flora Jacobs. This book was published in 1975 and has black and white photos, but is considered one of the most important books printed. Furniture makers are identified and dolls' houses are researched to provide much needed information in our field. The 395 pages are a great resource for collectors. $15
39. English Dolls' Houses of the 18th and 19th Centuries- by Vivien Greene Published in London in 1955, this book is wonderful to research Boulle furniture and to read about the rare early Baby Dolls' Houses. All printed in black and white. This is out of print; available for $50
40. The book Dollhouses - by Halina Pasierbska. The author traces the history of dolls' houses in the beginning of the book and then identifies several houses in the Bethnal Green Museum (which is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood in London). She then discusses kitchens in some of the houses, then a chapter on bedrooms, nurseries and bathrooms in certain houses and then covers specific pieces of furniture which are attributed to certain houses. (I would have preferred having each house discussed with photos and detailed information on each room). Still an excellent book to study how to furnish certain period rooms. This book can be purchased on Amazon.com for around $32-35.
If you have antique dolls' houses or miniature furnishings or accessories you would like to sell, please get in touch with me at antiquedh@comcast.net