Monday, September 15, 2008

Modern Miniatures on Monday: Parade of Houses, Part Thirteen

American firm Tomy produced the 3/4" scale Smaller Home and Garden house and furniture in the late 1970s and very early 1980s:(The front of mine is quite faded. I've since obtained a new front) I found this an incredibly frustrating house after the design ease of my Scandinavian houses.Trying to place the furniture in logical places without covering the various windows and doorways was a puzzle and a half.The kitchen was a particular challenge. In the end I had to place several bits of furniture with their backs to the viewer, including the oven and microwave combo which itself provided a puzzle: why is this piece so rare when it's a staple of any kitchen?Why, also, when a family of four was produced for the house is there only one bedroom?And although a range of (very rare) nursery furniture was produced, beds for the children were never sold....My curators and I had much fun trying to work out "the story" behind this particular household. Where's Mum? Do the scars on the daughter come from some terrible accident in which she died? Do Dad and the kids live alone trying to cope with the results? In which case do the kids sleep upstairs in the frilly bed and Dad kips on the sofa?

Maybe the moustached chap is actually a youthful Grandad entertaining his visiting Grand kids? Is Grandma dead or just out for the day with Mum? If she'd dead is the frilly bed and teddy bear a memory of her that Grandad can't cope with getting rid of?

3 comments:

  1. I suspect Aunt Fleur and Uncle Eddy are just childminding for the day(s).

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  2. Another lovely house! BTW, great bumping into you today. Those people at Aussie Junk wanted $50!!!!!! for that gorgeous pram. Yes - from the TIP!?

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