The Queens Dolls' House [Hardback]

Lucinda Lambton (Author)

ISBN 978 1 905686 26 1
Hardback, 200 x 200 mm, 132 pages, over 220 colour illustrations.

The Queen's Dolls' House is the largest, most beautiful and most famous dolls' house in the world. Created for Queen Mary in the early 1920s by the renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, it is a perfect replica of an aristocratic Edwardian residence, complete in every way - from the wine cellar, with its store of tiny bottles, each containing a thimbleful of vintage wine, to the library, with its exquisite volumes of original works by authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Hardy and Edith Wharton. This astonishing little house also has a garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll, a garage full of miniature limousines, and electricity, running water and working lifts. Each room, from the servants' bedrooms to the grand saloon, is fully furnished in every way, and waiting to be explored.

In this book, Lucinda Lambton, the well-known broadcaster and architectural historian, guides the reader on an imaginative tour of this most magical of residences, from life below stairs to the high-society setting of saloon and dining room, from the children's toys in the nursery to the miniature accoutrements of dressing-table and bathroom. Her narrative is complemented by documents from the Royal Archives including previously unpublished letters between Queen Mary and Lutyens and the many contributing artists and manufacturers. It also details for the first time the original works in the Dolls' House art collection and library, and gives a complete inventory of the many famous names involved in the creation of this remarkable house.

The Queen's Dolls' House will appeal to anyone with affection for all things miniature, or with an interest in the architecture and history of this fascinating period.

Lucinda Lambton is a writer, photographer and broadcaster. She has written a variety of books delighting in art and architectural oddities, including Vanishing Victoriana, Temples of Convenience, An Album of Curious Houses and Lucinda Lambton's A-Z of Britain.