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CDHM The Miniature Way - History of Miniatures



 

 

History of dollhouse miniatures, part III

One of the oldest existing cabinet dollhouses that was lucky enough to avoid any type of fire dates back to 1639. The original owner is not known, but it was presented to the Germanisches National Museum in Nuremburg by Baron von Stromer, hence known as the Stromer House.

History of dollhouse miniatures, part III

Just like its predecessor, it was a cabinet display that reflected the living style of the upper class. It is impossible to attribute the cabinet house trend to Albrecht V since there is nearly a one hundred year span between the Munich Baby House and the Stromer house. A trend takes hold much more quickly, much like bell-bottom pants. But could the Stromer House have been the impetus for the affluent woman of the period who finally got tired of seeing their husbands' trophy cases and demanded their own?

The original owner of the Stromer house is unknown, but whomever it was certainly, and with much pride, showed it to her wealthy friends, and they told their friends, and they told their friends and so on, and so on. It wasn't too long before cabinet houses began popping up all over Europe, especially with Dutch women named Petronella.

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