In 1969, Marylou Whitney worked during the winters with craftsmen on the Whitney farm to build and furnish the dollhouses, room by room, as precisely as possible for her daughter, Cornelia.
The result is an elaborate and beautiful example of the miniaturist's craft - a work of art in the tradition of classic dollhouses, like Ireland's New bridge Dollhouse and the Stettheimer Dollhouse. In all, the craftsmen created four dollhouses: the main house, artist studio, guest house, and pool atrium.
Having traveled country raising money for charities including the Girl Scouts of America and the Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, KY, the dollhouses are faithful to such details of the Whitney home as the parquet flooring, the petit point reproductions of the Aubusson carpets, the table settings, the chandeliers, and the piano and the harp that are actually fully functional.
Even the miniature oil paintings were recreated from originals, and if you look real closely you will see a diamond ring that sits on the dresser in the lady's sitting room. The replica doesn't stop there even the readable miniature books in the library are those in the real Whitney home.
Come and view these rare pieces of art which reside on permanent display at the
Headley-Whitney Museum.
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