A Little History
“Miniatures” have a centuries long tradition. Some say its beginnings trace back to the Egyptians who often placed small trinkets in tombs. Dollhouses, as we recognize them, first appeared in the seventeenth century; these houses were primarily built by German, Dutch and English craftsmen.
Nuremberg Kitchens were used to teach girls how to properly run a household; Bavarian dollhouses began to include decorative exteriors with faux timber or brick walls; and wealthy Dutch families developed a passion for collecting tiny fine porcelain, paintings and furniture – all a sign the family was living a good life.
In the eighteenth century, the British dollhouse builders began to make Baby Houses, perfect little replicas of home and the ideal fit for a young girl to watch over. These houses were often exact copies of the collector’s home, inside and out, capturing the family living in miniature.
Now we have many ways to keep our memories and preserve special moments – videos, pictures, scrap booking…. But to today’s collectors of miniatures, we still have a common bond with the original dollhouse makers – we find something comforting in the peace and quiet of a dollhouse. We can have perfect order or controlled chaos. We can tell stories of a memory, capture a moment or a favored place…or even give life to something conjured up from our imagination.
It’s because of that imaginative and creative element that miniatures have been enjoyed for centuries, and – at least we hope – will be relished for many more.
Scale – Just What Do You Mean?!
Scale is the size ratio between a full size object and its miniature version…more specifically, it tells us if we are building a little house or a really, really little house.
An easy scale is one inch…one inch equals one foot. You’ll see it written as 1:12 or 1/12. This is a very common scale in dollhouses and furnishings.
An object may also be half inch…half inch equals one foot- now we are getting smaller! This is written as 1:24 or 1/2 scale.
Not the tiniest of all scales, but pretty small is quarter inch…quarter inch equals one foot. 1:48 or 1/4 is how you’ll see this written.
In their early versions, miniatures varied greatly in size. In the 1970s miniaturists began looking for more accurate and interchangeable pieces for their collections. Currently much better consistency exists between pieces.
To better understand scale, visit the amazing examples on display upstairs in Exhibits during the San Diego Miniature Show & Sale. Don’t miss the opportunity to see collections, scratch built houses, room boxes and much more!
