A 1934 Schoenhut Dollhouse

 

This dollhouse was produced  in 1934, the last year of production for the A. Schoenhut Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has suffered some water damage, is missing the chimney, and was missing the door and two windows when it arrived. I will get around to making a chimney one day. I made the door....and then installed it the wrong way, that's why the door knob is on the right side. I "borrowed" two windows from the side of another small Schoenhut, because in my Dollhouse Village, having front windows is more important than having side windows!

This illustration is from a 1934 dealer's catalogue and appears in a soft cover book Dollhouses and Dollhouse Furniture (Manufactured by A. Schoenhut Company Philadelphia, Pa. 1917-1934) compiled by Margaret Whitton. Notice that it came with lights in each room and a removable back cover. This illustration shows the extension on the right side, while the extension on my house is on the left.

This illustration of the entire page might explain why. Notice that all of the houses are facing left. It is possible that the graphic designer flipped the image to create a more visually pleasing composition.

A cute little family has moved in to "No.208E". I might know their names by the end of this post.

The house has 5 rooms....two bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room and living room. No bathroom, and no outhouse in sight. 

The living room is furnished in German Red-stain furniture. The seating pieces and the clock can be found in International Dollhouses and Accessories by Zillner and Cooper, page 214. This book, published in1998, indicates the maker of German Red-stain furniture was unknown at that time. Twenty-six years later we are still trying to discover that information. 

The lamp table is Donna Lee  from her Deluxe Bedroom set no. 302. 

The lamp base is incised Germany; it came without the celluloid shade. I fashioned one of textured paper, not the same as the original but it works for me.

The dining room has a Schoenhut dining room table set and buffet from their 1931 production line. 

The maker of the hutch is unknown, possibly a German or Japanese import.

The kitchen is furnished in Schoenhut with a Kage fridge. 

The stove, sink, table and chairs are Schoenhut from 1932. The fridge is Kage from the late 1940s. 

I found this wonderful handmade crazy-quilt on Ebay and thought it was just perfect for the Kage bed. 

The bedside table and dresser are Nancy Forbes with a Strombecker clock to wake dad in case he has a job. A former owner added the knobs on the dresser. I added the mirror, but it should have a border around it. Just another error I need to correct because I didn't research. The chair is not marked as to maker. 

The children share a room, each having their own little corner. I see a girly toy but no boys toys. Hmmn, girls rule? Yea!

A Kage chest holds a Strombecker lamp. The small chair  part of the Tiny Suite made by The Spartan Company in the late 1940s. The blue bed may be from Miniaform, made when they were moving away from making the more expensive Art Deco furniture with wire legs. The brown bed is early UK Barton.

My little family has introduced themselves! Gervais and Colette Perreault and their children Laurent and Lisette. They are new immigrants from France....because of the way they are dressed, possibly time travelers? 

A 1938 Rich Toys Plantation

Rich Toys produced this lovely colonial mansion dollhouse in 1938, No. 288. 

 It is decorated with a wood medallion in the pediment above the porch, four large pillars,

 seventeen windows with painted on shutters, printed shrubbery, 

           

and two large chimneys on either end.  A vintage ad for this house shows two lawn extensions with six imitation pine trees. George Mundorf is lucky enough to have discovered an example, shown here.

 

This is a large house, 34" wide, 24½" tall at the chimneys, and 16" deep. It is also bulky and heavy when one has to move it alone. This house became part of my collection in 2021. Some of the original furniture has traveled with it over the 84 years of existence. 

I have used most of the original furniture and additional pieces from my collection. 

The kitchen is furnished with Lynnfield appliances and a Kage table and chairs.  

The stool and waste basket are Strombecker.

Lynnfield appliances.

The pantry is one of my additions.

The Kage table and chairs are one of the earlier sets, I added two chairs. 

Kage produced dollhouse furniture from 1938-1948. 

The dining room is furnished with what is referred to as

 German red-stain furniture.

The table and two chairs came with the house.

The hutch is also original to the house; I added the accessories.

These pieces are from my collection.

The clock, hanging by the stairs, is original to the house.

The living room is furnished with Lynnfield, Strombecker, Dolly Dear 

and the built-in fireplace.

The piano and clock are original to the house.

The coffee table is the only item pictured that is original to the house.

The wing back chair and ottoman plus the side table 

are part of the furniture original to the house.

Upstairs, the bathroom is furnished with Strombecker, Dolly Dear

 and Grandmother Stover pieces.

The sink and commode are original to the house....

 also the bathtub, hamper and vanity with bench.

The nursery is furnished with Strombecker, exception is mom's chair.

The youth bed, step stool, side table, the small desk and chair behind

 the little girl, and the bed covers also are original to the house.

The yellow duck shoofly, toy box and chifforobe completed 

the nursery set original to the house. I created the

 bannister rail and then discovered that on Ebay 

austinnoggles sells a lovely one at a reasonable price. 

The parent's bedroom is furnished with Strombecker, 

Lynnfield and Dolly Dear. 

The bed and dresser are original to the house.

This house is over-flowing with pink roses....not what I originally planned.

The fireplace is original to the house, however I have updated it.

                     Original                                       Updated with fire box, grate

                                                                                          with logs, and fender.

 

This original fireplace has been found in Rich Toys dollhouses as early as 1936. 

I have always thought it had a 1970s design. 

Rich continued to use the fireplace in later editions of their houses 

but without the wooden andirons.

                                          

Kitchen, with Lynnfield appliances and Kage table and chairs.

Dining Room, with German furniture.

Living Room, with Lynnfield side table with books, grandfather clock, sofa, coffee table, wing chair and ottoman, Strombecker round side table, piano and bench, and Dolly Dear lamps.

Bathroom, with Strombecker commode, vanity and bench, bathtub, sink and hamper, Dolly Dear magazine rack, and Grandmother Stover bath scale. 

Nursery, with all Strombecker furniture and unknown upholstered chair.

Bedroom, with Lynnfield wing chair, desk and desk stool, 

Strombecker  vanity, bedside table, bed and chest.

Dolly Dear lamps.

Below are the pieces of furniture that have lived in the house for the last 84 years. 

(Accessories are mine.) It is in surprisingly good condition for its' age. 

Items that came with the house that I didn't find a place for:

 

Strombecker chair, radio, clock, small round table and candle stick. 

The white candle sticks are probably Dolly Dear.

 The desk and bench are newer items 

as is the coat that hung on the coat rack by the front door. 

I think it is wonderful that these lovely vintage dollhouses have survived over the decades

....and particularly happy when they come to live with me.