Do you have a Trixytoy dollhouse?

 

The Durrell Company in Boston, Massachusetts, produced a series of fiberboard  dollhouses in the late 1920's. Several houses were made in various sizes and slightly different designs. Designs were painted both on the exterior and interior....shutters and plants on the outside with curtains on the inside.

Several advertisements of Trixytoy dollhouses have been found:

A small 2 room cottage,

a brightly colored 2 story with 4 rooms,

and a lovely Trixytoy Mansion with 2 stories, 5 rooms and a sun room. 

These Trixytoy dollhouses have survived well over the years and are usually found in great condition. 

If you have one of these little houses, or a variation of the ones shown above, please consider sharing a picture of it with Patty Cooper at gardenmont@aol.com

Mary Jane Doll House

This is Mary Jane Doll House produced in 1921 and sold in the Sears Fall and Winter catalog in 1923 for 98¢.  It is "made of real heavy cardboard and tastefully decorated outside and inside....do not confuse this with the cheap flimsy lightweight cardboard houses on the market" according to Sears' description. 

It was manufactured by Mandell Mfg. Co. of Chicago, USA.

It's a lovely little house and I am sure it was enjoyed by all the little children who were lucky enough to own one. 

All four sides....and in amazingly good condition for it's 95 years.  But of course it IS made of real heavy cardboard....

Interior graphics. 

According to information found in Dian Zillner's International Dollhouses & Accessories, 1880s-1980s, page 136, this little house came with bedroom and living room furniture...a 3 piece set of sofa, chair and rocker, table, and grandfather clock for the living room; plus bed, chest, vanity/chair, and a rocker for the bedroom.  My set also has a "Victrola" in 1920s style for the living room. 

(Bedroom rocker no longer rocks.)

But just enough furniture for this little house!

My little Trixytoy dollhouse from 1928

This is my small Trixytoy dollhouse made by the Durrel Company 

in Boston, Massachuesetts in the late 1920s. 

It is made of heavy cardboard and still in great shape 

for a cardboard house approximately 88 years old. 

The roof was originally red but has faded to tan.

Mine is a one room house with opening door 

and 4 windows that still retain the original cellophane windows. 

I made a stand alone wall divider 

to give this grandma a bit of privacy.

Here is grandma's bedroom.

The dresser, chair, lamps, bed and bedside table are Strombecker from the early 1940s.

Grandma's comfy chair was made by Kage, 1938-48.

 Grandma loves her open living room kitchen combo. 

Grandma likes to relax on her sofa and listen to her favorite radio programs on her radio. 
The sofa, chair, radio and end table are Strombecker from the mid 1940s. 

Tweety, her little red bird, is kept in the kitchen 
because he likes to spread his birdseed everywhere! 
The sink, stove and table and chairs are from 
Strombecker's 1934 production line. 
The fridge is Kage, 1938-48. 

Grandma does think this is her "Home Sweet Home"!

This is a two room model house also made by Trixytoy. 

...advertised in the 1928 Sears catalog for $1.29 
and included Tootsietoy furniture. 

The Durrel Company also made Trixytoy furniture for their houses. This is the kitchen set, made in half inch to one foot scale, from four layers of cardboard glued together. 

The dining room set....

two tables, 4 chairs, sideboard and server were made.

Trixytoy living room set.

This add for my little house appeared in a 1920s toy flyer 
issued by J F Colson & Co in St. Charles, Illinois.