INDIANA
Everything in Miniature!
By Cathleen Nine
There is something about seeing life expressed in miniature forms that captures the attention of adults and children alike. At least that is what Suzanne Landshof, a co-founder of the Museum of Miniature Houses and Other Collections believes.
“This museum appeals to people from age 3 to 83,” Landshof said.
The museum, which is a testament to human imagination in all sizes, is located in bustling downtown Carmel, Ind. where people walk their dogs and dine al fresco on a Sunday afternoon. The museum is housed in a small brick building nearly out of sight from the street.
It is neither a typical looking building nor a typical experience. Visitors must ring a doorbell to be admitted inside the building by a docent, where the mania for miniature begins with a glance into the gift shop selling everything from tiny working light fixtures to silverware. It is a paradise for the dollhouse hobbyist but it appeals to a wider audience with an array of scenes that defy easy categorization.
There are historical dollhouses with period furnishings, contemporary dollhouses that feature handcrafted furniture, vignettes or small scenes highlighting fashions and architecture, g vintage toy robots and varied types of miniatures from around the world. Painstaking attention is paid to the details in each scene.
The museum was created in 1993 by three women with separate backgrounds drawn together through a passion for all things tiny. The founders, Nancy Lesh, Susie Moffit and Lanshoff, met at miniature shows and developed the idea of a museum. According to Landshoff, Moffit thought miniatures were becoming a lost art and sought to preserve them, Lesh wanted a home for her doll houses and Landshoff had a background in museums, having worked at miniature museum in Kansas.
One mission of the museum founders is to keep history and artistry alive. Landshof explained that small vignettes are used as a tool to recreate the past, instead of designing and furnishing expensive period rooms in full size.
One of the jewels of the museum’s collection is a scene by Narcissa Thorne, famous in the world of miniaturists. Thorne, the heiress to the Montgomery Ward fortune, devoted many resources to conserve historical architecture and design. She commissioned talented craftsmen and artists to ensure her vision. The museum has a Thorne creation, fittingly called the Thorne room. The room emulates a posh 1950s bar complete with tiny drinking glasses and bar stools. Currently, the Art Institute in Chicago owns the majority of the rooms Thorne made in her lifetime.
History and an underlying nostalgia for childhood are combined in some pieces. Perhaps, the best example is the Civil War era dollhouse handcrafted by a loving uncle to his niece. In this interesting piece, the house has a hidden panel. Inside the panel is a poem composed to the girl saying the uncle hopes his niece will always “think well upon him” whenever she sees the dollhouse.
Returning visitors are sure to see something new each visit because the museum changes furnishings three times a year in the permanent dollhouse exhibits, while other collections are on loan or rotate. The rooms are also decorated for the holiday seasons.
For more information call (317) 575-9466 or email info@museumofminiatures.org
Cathleen Nine is a Franklin College sophomore majoring in journalism with a concentration in public relations and history. She is the manager of the PR agency.
With the exquisite attention to detail that is seen throughout the museum, the atmosphere of a Georgian Colonial room is recreated for visitors to enjoy. Photos from the Museum of Miniature Houses and Other Collections.
Considered to be one of the most valuable houses in the museum the Cape Cod style house called "Shanunga" is full of handcrafted furniture and architectural details. Photo from the Museum of Miniature Houses and Other Collections..
Dating back to 1861, this antique house was built by a man named Thomas Russell who gave it to his niece with a special surprise: a hidden panel with a message. Photo from the Museum of Miniature Houses and Other Collections.