dollhouse | figure: Betsy McCall Dollhouse

Butterick created the first mass produced, sized, tissue paper home sewing pattern in 1863. Early patterns were nothing more than folded tissue with a little piece of paper glued to it with printed instructions, an illustration, and a description of the finished garment. In 1870, Scottish immigrant James McCall began to design and print his own line of sewing patterns. As a means of advertising his patterns, he founded a four-page fashion journal, ����_�The Queen: Illustrating McCall����_��s Bazaar Glove-Fitting Patterns,����_�_ (later titled ����_�McCall����_��s����_�_). By 1919, McCall introduced the first printed pattern with the intention of providing the maker with a perfectly fitted garment with accurate marks. By the early 1930, McCall printed a color cover image directly on the pattern envelope and provided separate instruction sheets. Sewers gazed at the fashion-forward ladies on the product package and appreciated the detailed instructions.

In May 1951, McCalls magazine, introduced Betsy McCall, a paper doll and her outfits. Betsy, a sweet girl of seven or eight years of age, became a feature of the monthly magazine, much as magazines of the turn of the century had offered Dolly Dingle and other paper dolls. McCalls licensed the American Character Doll Company to produce a 7 1/2-inch version of Betsy, capitalizing on the popularity of small dolls such as Ginny, Muffie, and the Alexanderkins lines. Eighteen different outfits were available for Betsy in her first year. Eighteen new outfits followed in her second year. McCalls offered patterns for outfits for Betsy that matched patterns for the dresses and clothes that adorned her little owners. Thus, Betsy promoted not just the magazine but became quite a booster for the McCalls patterns as well, including the pattern for the Betsy McCall Split-Level Dollhouse.

The donor of this mid-century split-level received the dollhouse from her father on Christmas 1955. The donation included the original pattern, dolls, furniture and accessories, and a tin car. The donor also provided blueprints for how she set-up the house as a young girl.