The Origins Of The Dollhouse

Miniature houses have been around for thousands of years, containing household items and residents, including people and animals. The earliest known example was found in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian king, built nearly 5,000 years ago.

The history of today's dollhouses dates back some 400 years to Europe, with baby house display cases showing interiors, until the 18th century, when smaller, more realistic looking dollhouses appeared. Early dollhouses were handmade, but with the Industrial Revolution and World War II, they were increasingly mass-produced, becoming more standardized and prices dropped.

Today's dollhouses can range from simply a small house stacked on top of each other for play, to multi-million dollar structures on display in museums.

The early doll housesof Europe were each unique, made purely by hand by individual craftsmen on a bespoke basis. With the advent of the Industrial revolution, factories began to churn out toys, including dollhouses and miniature models suitable for decorating toys.

In the 17th century, as interest in dollhousesexpanded, so did the gender-oriented organization of tiny houses, which became more feminine in style. Thedoll house has its own compartments, and these rooms are fully furnished, which in a sense is a symbol of the family.

In the US, most dollhouses have an open back and a nice front, while British houses are more likely to have a hinged front that opens up to reveal the room.

Nuremberg, Germany, produced the most precious dollhouses and tiny dollhouses until World War I. Since the 16th century, Nuremberg has been known as the “Toy City” and their baby houses are believed to be the origin of the basic standard for moderndoll houses. Their products are not only popular in Central Europe, but also are often exported to areas such as the United Kingdom and North America. But then Germany’s entry into World War I and defeat severely hindered production and exports. Then new manufacturers emerged in other countries.

After World War II, dollhouses began to be mass-produced in factories, but the process was not as elaborate as before.

By the 1950s, dollhouses were being marketed in a variety of materials, including metal (marcasite), fiberboard, plastic, and wood, with plastic being the most commonly used material. As a result, the production cost of dollhouses was greatly reduced, and most girls from western developed countries could own a dollhouse, not least because these countries were not hit hard economically after World War II.

With the development of economy and society, the cost of dollhouse is also decreasing. In the 21st century, the exquisite design of dollhouse has been far beyond people's imagination. No longer a house for the rich, every child can choose a doll's house of their choice, including a variety of looks, from ready-made and decorated house kits, to customized designs tailored to each person’s needs.