Dollhouse:Large Mystery House

The mystery is that no one knows where this house came from. It might have been made in Germany, where most dollhouses were made at the end of the 1800s, but dollhouses were also common in America, which means it might have been made here. Modeled after the New York City townhouses of wealthy Americans, this house inspired identification with aristocratic lifestyles. It is both large and extremely ornate, featuring eight rooms, an entry hall, an attic decorated with unique wallpaper, light fixtures, and even parquet floors in intricate red, green, and black geometric patterns. Like virtually all dollhouses in the late 19th century, this house reflected the desire to amuse as well as instruct. However, its high cost confined its lessons to the very rich. Parents thought play with such dollhouses prepared girls and young women to manage the elaborate social occasions they would eventually orchestrate in their own homes. Such handmade wooden dollhouses were expensive items. One version of this house sold for $150 - more than a whole month's salary for a middle-class doctor or lawyer! Obviously this was a luxury out of reach for most people.