Dora Kuhn peasant dollhouses were imported from Germany and sold exclusively through FAO Schwarz toy stores. The Dora Kuhn dollhouses appeared in their catalogs from the late 1950s to the 1970s.
In trying to establish when my dollhouse was produced, I found this Chalet Dolls Houses article by Rebecca Green on Dolls Houses Past and Present e-magazine. Rebecca tells us the earlier versions had applied wooden decoration above the windows rather than the painted decoration of the later model. Mine has wooden shutters and wooden headers over the window. My house also has two patches of dried glue on either side of the door indicating something missing. I found this example that may explain what was originally on each side of the door of my little house.
Newer houses have shrubs painted beside the door, painted shutters, and painted designs above the windows instead of a wooden header.
This is an updated Dora Kuhn house. My little house is from the older production period.
This is the home of Klaus and Gerda Schmidt and their children Horst, Elise and Oskar. The Schmidt's home came with 3 rooms, two on the first floor and a large open room on the top floor. I used a divider made for my Karlheinz Klein dollhouse to separate the top floor into 2 bedrooms. (My Karlheinz Klein dollhouse went on a mercy mission to live with another lady who had one as a child).
Most models of this Dora Kuhn house have the front door opening into a large room on the right side of the first floor. I have seen one other DK house with the door opening in the room on the left like mine.
The Kachelofen (traditional tile-covered masonary heater) on the lower floor is found in the living area. It is in the back left corner beside the man of the house.
The kitchen is well stocked with pantry, hutch, cook stove and a counter with basin for washing dishes....evidently no running water, but an electric stove.
On the upper floor, the Kachelofen is found in the parent's bedroom in the back right corner.
Klaus and Gerda's bedroom is furnished with Bauernmöbel styled pieces in red. That term refers to the traditional, painted and carved rustic folk furniture of Germany and Austria. Dora Kuhn produced this popular furniture in shades of red, blue, orange and green.
Horst and Elise's room is furnished in the very popular blue "Bauernmalerei" styled pieces.
Bauernmöbel: farmer's furniture
Baurenmalerei: peasant painting
Wonder what this little family is doing this evening?
Klaus seems to be reading a magazine....unless it is daytime and papa doesn't have a job. He does have a stein beside his chair....beer, no beer?
Looks like Gerda is playing solitaire. (I played a game of solitaire and then set her cards up according to my play....she will win this game!)
And there is Elise quietly sitting in her chair, hoping mom and dad will forget she is there and talk about things she shouldn't be hearing.
Is Klaus a great bear hunter?
Ah! Here is Horst, in the bedroom he shares with Elise, playing with his train. I wonder if he knows his hat is on backward. It seems he has glued it to his head, so I guess it will stay that way.
And baby Oskar still napping.
Snitzel is thinking it is time to eat, and he can't find his bowl.
Just what is that cooking on the stove?
A very sweet and cozy chalet style house, made entirely of wood with rustic roof,
white exterior walls, natural wood under eaves. Balcony on front of house. Has 6
windows with shutters and colorful flower boxes. Bundle of wood and bench on
terrace. Living room and kitchen downstairs, bedroom upstairs. Furnished in good
taste with 15 pieces of decorated peasant style furniture. Open back. Measures 29 x
16 x 17" high. Ship. wt. 23 lbs. Express only.
The ad also included an artist rendering of the house furnished with Karlheinz Klein dollhouse furniture. 
.jpg)
Klaus and Gerda are from the early 1950s and have been redressed in wonderful German themed clothing by a previous owner.
Horst, Elise and Oskar, all with metal feet and hands. Information from Dolls Houses Past and Present indicates plastic hands were introduced in 1961 while plastic feet came along in the mid 1970s. So I assume these 3 dolls are pre 1961.
This ad appeared in a 1959 FAO Schwarz catalog. The artist's rendering changed the appearance of the balcony.
The ad also included an artist rendering of the house furnished with Karlheinz Klein dollhouse furniture.
Spielwarenfabrik Karlheinz Klein manufactured the furniture and several models of dollhouses in Wiesloch, Germany in 1954. Below is my Dora Kuhn dollhouse furnished with Karlheinz Klein dollhouse funiture.
.jpg)
This ad appeared later in the 1960s after the house was redesigned. Notice the price increase, 10 additional pieces of decorated peasant-style furniture, and a family of 4 included.
The bench and 2 chairs are adult sized.
These 2 chairs are child sized.
Comparison of the 2 sizes of chairs Dora Kuhn produced.
Notice the difference in coloring of the hutch on the left from the patina/finish on the 2 cabinets on the right. The cabinets on the right are marked Made in Germany US Zone which indicates they were made in 1957 or before.
I posted about winning these wonderful pieces in 2009. You can read about it here.
Modern stove, Kachelofen US Zone.
Lovely table and chair set in red, also US Zone. I can never decide if Iike the red more than the blue, so I will just enjoy both!
In Horst and Elise's room are 4 pieces from my "buy of the year" in 2009....
and two pieces made after 1957.
All of the furniture in Klaus and Gerda's room is pre 1957 with the exception of the wardrobe on the left.
These are samples of the Caco dolls that were sold for/or with the Dora Kuhn dollhouses. They stand 3¾" to 4" tall.
They are in a smaller scale than the Dora Kuhn furniture. I am sure it didn't make a difference to the child who received these wonderful toys. The chair shown is the child size model.
Here is the Caco family that live in my little Dora Kuhn folk dollhouse. Klaus and Gerda Schmidt with their children Horst, Elise and baby Oskar.
Klaus and Gerda are from the early 1950s and have been redressed in wonderful German themed clothing by a previous owner.
Horst, Elise and Oskar, all with metal feet and hands. Information from Dolls Houses Past and Present indicates plastic hands were introduced in 1961 while plastic feet came along in the mid 1970s. So I assume these 3 dolls are pre 1961.
A big thanks to Astrid of Diepuppenstubensammlerin blogspot for all the wonderful information she shares with readers on German dollhouses and dollhouse peoples.
