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section 5: parlours 1880s to 1920s images & photography: Jennifer McKendry © home page GALLERY of IMAGES 1 GALLERY OF IMAGES 2 GALLERY OF IMAGES 3 GALLERY OF IMAGES 4 GALLERY OF IMAGES 6 INDEX of GALLERY History of Dollhouses article THE PARLOUR
1894 the American firm McLoughlin produced a set of 4 rooms with lithographed walls showing the furnishings and decor enjoyed by the urban upper classes; the parlour - along with the dining room - was the most formal room; as the 19th century drew to a close, the parlour became increasingly congested with furniture and decorative objects; depending upon what fuels were available locally, lighting was by a combination of kerosene lamps, whale-oil lamps, candles and gas, plus electricity in some areas German furnishings and people c1870s-c1900 plus a sofa and armchair by the American firm of Stevens & Brown 1872
A splendid range of colours and textures was presented through relief work in the plaster cornice, wallpaper, painted or varnished woodwork, mirrors, ceramic tiles, brass and iron fireplace equipment, tropical plants, woven wool carpets (here in a floral lattice design with a wave border) and ornamental china; the actual opening of the fireplace was relatively small if burning coal but the surround and overmantel were bold in scale and yet often fussy in detailing; in most well-to-do houses of the 1890s in North America, furnaces provided the main heat source; Classical Revival detailing
Heavy velvet curtains with cords, brass tiebacks, rings and rods, as well as pronounced fringes, sometimes acted both as a decoration and division between rooms: here hung on a double archway leading to the dining room; in cold climates during the winter season, they could be allowed to hang down for greater ease in heating the room spaces or to allow privacy while servants cleared an adjacent dining room after a meal; curtains added colour, texture and - with the draped folds - elegance to the room's appearance (the red tape is not part of the original decor but a practical way to join and hinge the folding rooms)
c1900 the parlour of McLoughlin's Garden House has more up-to-date stylistic features than the parlour of the folding rooms (which has lingering 1850s to '70s qualities because of the formal Classicism); here there is an affinity for the Arts & Crafts movement, as well as Art Nouveau particularly in the carpeting
German soft metal, upholstered and wood furnishings c1880s-c1910s
note the positioning of a very wide picture of fruit over the top of the window and the extensive use of ornamental pottery and metalwork; likely some pieces are Japanese in origin or Japonaiserie (derived from Japanese but made in Europe), as that was in vogue; the iron fire grate features uprights in the form of "S", the sinuous lines influenced by Art Nouveau -- the latter is seen even more clearly in the stylized flowers of the carpet, positioned in the centre of the handsome parquetry floor
1914 this set of toy parlour furniture by Gebrüder Schneegass of Waltershausen, Germany, has Art Nouveau ornament pressed into the wood; the set consisted of "1 Vertikow [a chiffonier - centre of bottom row], 1 Sofa, 2 Arm-Chairs, 4 Chairs, 1 Rocking-Chair, 1 Table, 1 Writing-Table, 1 Trumeau [a pier glass - the tall mirror in the bottom right corner], 1 French-Clock, 1 Marble-Table, 1 Bust-Stand" in red or yellow wood; this line of furniture likely was in production by 1900; imported to the USA, it was sold in stores such as Schwarz of Philadelphia and Baltimore; its export market no doubt suffered with the outbreak of World War One; no doubt many other German manufacturers made dollhouse furniture of a similar nature
detail of a tall, free-standing mirror with pressed red wood design on top crest; reflecting Art Nouveau ideas, the sensuous vine-like lines interweave centering on a stylized flower (pattern touched-up for greater legibility in close detail); the effect is complemented by cutting the wood to follow the outer edge of the vine; horizontal band 2½" wide
door from a chiffonier with vertical reeding in the centre and to each side a carved panel in Art Nouveau style with stylized flowers and leaves rising from three stems, the centre one being the longest; the door, which has a typical early metal knob, is just under 2 ½" square
c1910 wing-back armchair upholstered in burgundy velvet with cord detailing, a red fringe and a pair of brass snarling lion heads and rings, similar to the chairs seen in the 1914 Schneegass catalogue (illustrated above); back lined with typical marbelized paper (below); 3" high
1893 parlour set sold in a paper-covered wooden box by Carl Stirn, New York; likely German in origin; note the chairs and sofa with thickly upholstered seats decorated by long fringes and having turned legs -- the same features are found on the sidechairs of the set of 1905 (illustrated below), even though the backs are different
1905 parlour set from the Wiemann & Muench catalogue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; made by Star Novelty Works, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (identified by Jacobs 1974); similar set sold by Macy's, N.Y. in 1910-11
c1910 Star Novelty Works, Cincinnati, Ohio; chaise lounge, 2 sidechairs in wood with a spectacular grain
Turned finials at the upper corners of sofas, wardrobes, two-tiered sideboards, chairs, etc. were often used on furnishings at the turn of the 20th century (sadly, they have just as often been broken off leaving the tell-tale scars of glue residue); a number of pieces from this period have top crest ornaments made with pierced, often scrolled, wood This tall sofa with burgundy upholstery and a fringe has paisley wall paper covering the back; attributed to Schneegass of Waltershausen, Germany
The red upholstered armchair has a Schwarz toy store label underneath, as does the sidechair on the left (below); this was one of the American stores importing German toys, dollhouses and miniatures
oak fireplace with overmantel incorporating a mirror, columns, shelves and broken pediment; lithographed paper representing tiles and flames; metal concave fender; black metal separate fender in front
Typical chair leg and chair profiles 1870-1910
c1900, attributed to Schneegass of Waltershausen, Germany
c1880, Davenport desk, attributed to Schneegass of Waltershausen, Germany; scrolled front supports in the Empire style; flap forming writing surface lifts up; door on each of the lower sides
Upholstered sofa set into a tall wood frame incorporating a canted angle mirror and shelves; the painted black decoration suggests ancient Egyptian design -- one of the influences on late 19th century to early 20th century Art Nouveau; part of a set marked "ACN W" (see also section 6 for a chest of drawers) sofa 4½" long; bench ends were in vogue in the late 19th century, as seen in Charles Eastlake's Hints on Household Taste of 1878 \
Chaise lounge for daytime reclining (also known as a Récamier sofa or popularly as a fainting couch); what-not with a cupboard door (missing top finials)
Metal fireplace with original grate, shelves, fender and hearth; soft metal gilt mirror in Art Nouveau style
Splayed taper leg table in natural wood with scalloped top, often made with a marble top and sometimes called a turtle table; below with taper legs painted black, 5¼" long
Furniture usually described as
Biedermeier (a term referring to the taste in decorative arts of the German bourgeoisie in
the mid 19th century) in the late 1880s (Youth's Compa
Tilt-top table in red stain on a turned pedestal base with three legs; on the top's underside is a paper label printed "Germany", c1910
1921 parlour set advertised in the American Sears Roebuck catalogue; made from flat thin pieces of wood
c1920 (on the left) hall stand made from flat thin pieces of wood, made visually appealling by curvilinear lines; the simplicity of construction and detailing suffers in quality when compared to the stand on the right, c1880s-c1910, with its turnings, ball feet and use of marble; both, however, deserve to be judged on their own merits; also one needs to consider that they were likely made for customers with different financial resources
1901 Japanese bamboo furniture and tea set, Youth's Companion, 24 October; see also article on Toys
METAL FURNITURE
1872 catalogue of
manufactur
below: 1894-95 advertisement in the Montgomery Ward catalogue
c1890 gilt painted
metal radiator, just under 2½" high, embossed with Art Nouveau designs plain painted white radiator with
splayed feet and spoked wheel to control the water flow; just over 2" high
Coal-fired boilers in cellars produced hot water pumped to radiators in the main and upper floors in houses of the well-to-do in the 1860s, '70s and '80s; by the 1890s, they were becoming widespread in North America
"PENNY TOYS" parlour furniture made of metal in a variety of scales: see History of Dollhouses 1900-1910 (link below)
PICTURES
the larger one is suspended by a visible cord from a picture-rail moulding and rests above the chair-rail moulding (usually just under 3 feet from the floor), below which the wall is painted a contrasting colour; a stencilled frieze appears above the picture-rail; a small picture is hung above the large lower one; traditional gilt frames continue in popularity but ones with the ends of the wood frames continuing beyond the corners are particularly in vogue at the turn of the century, the frame may be in the form of tree limbs (example below, 2½" wide), part of the 19th-century interest in the Romantic, sublime and primitive aspects of Nature; the subject of an old mill set in nature was a popular subject; (left & right, details from the McLoughlin Garden House)
RUGS
c1870 needlepoint rug with swan, Quebec, 6" x 4"
c1920 printed "tobacco rugs", largest 5" x 3"
c1920 printed rug with flowers, 8" x 5"
Braided rugs, smallest 2" diameter, largest (below) 7½" diameter; oval 3¼" x 2½"
Runner, woven, Canadian, 2½" wide
1921 perhaps this is a good place to end images of "the parlour" as it has become "the living room" with familiar looking stuffed armchairs and a couch; lighting is now all electric with wall fixtures and a floor lamp; the setting is now an apartment instead of the usual house -- an acknowledgement of how many people lived in North American cities during the 1920s; from a cardboard set "This 4 Room Apartment..with 'Invisibles' Cut-Out and Paint...", New York, 1921-23 PLEASE CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE THE GALLERY OF IMAGES! top top of page home page history of dollhouses GALLERY of IMAGES 1 GALLERY OF IMAGES 2 GALLERY OF MAGES 3 GALLERY OF IMAGES 4 GALLERY OF IMAGES 6
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A casual note is struck with window seats covered by chintz and loaded
with lots of comfortable, colourful pillows; sunlight flows in through the transparent
curtains and colour flickers over the room as light penetrates the stained glass in the
upper part of the windows; the tall, severe wainscotting in natural wood with red panels
and the unusual overmantel design is influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement,
emphasizing a high level of craftsmanship and honesty of materials and construction
-- note the wood pegs showing in the joints of the fireplace surround
Chairs with "caning" (applied woven material representing caning
which, on real chairs, was actually woven directly onto an open frame of a seat or back )
nion) with a marble-topped
table; the sofa and side-table have applied lithographed paper imitating wood and metal
enlays; the chairs have klismos (curved outwards back and front) legs with scrolled arms
and upholstered seats, which often have imitation brass tacks over edging along the front
of the seat; the seat covering is often a small floral print or velvet in colours such as
gold or burgundy
er Stevens & Brown of Cromwell, Conn., USA; cast-iron; the sofa and
armchair of this set are in the first illustration in this section of the Gallery of
Images (and in the first section of the History of Dollhouses & Furnishings); Rococo
Revival style; balloon-back sidechair; rocking-chair with pierced back and scrolled arms
1892-1895 Cooke's "Indestructable" [sic]
soft metal furniture often has badly bent, cracked or even missing legs, as if children
were responding to the challenge; Chicago; may be stamped "Pat. Aug. 13, 95";
some are labelled as souvenirs of the Columbus Exposition, Chicago 1893 -- above
is a 4-piece parlour set showing the landing of Columbus in the New World (Butler Brothers
catalogue, 1895); made in various scales
c1900 how to hang pictures: 
