Product Description

Infusing her sensibility into every detail--from the Limoges vases in the chintz bedroom to the crystal-trimmed candelabra in the salon--Carrie Walter Stettheimer (1869-1944) wove together the fashion and style of New York's high society in the early twentieth century to create one of the finest dollhouses in the world. Stettheimer worked on the twelve-room dollhouse for nearly two decades, creating many of the furnishings and decorations by hand. Styles of decoration vary from room to room, yet the wallpapers, furniture, and fixtures are all characteristic of the period following World War I. The result is a magnificent work of art, now in the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

What may be the most astounding aspect of the Stettheimer Dollhouse is its one-of-a-kind art gallery, featuring miniature works from renowned avant-garde artists of the 1920s. Along with her mother and two sisters--Florine, a painter whose works are in many major museum collections, and Ettie, a writer--Stettheimer hosted grand soirées attended by contemporary artists, including Alexander Archipenko, Marcel Duchamp, and Gaston Lachaise, who presented her with miniature works for her dollhouse. The Stettheimer Dollhouse showcases all the works created especially for the dollhouse, including Duchamp's three-inch version of Nude Descending a Staircase.

Each artist in the collection is profiled, while descriptions and color photographs of each room in the dollhouse offer an intimate tour of this delightful masterpiece.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123678 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

About the Author
Sheila W. Clark, Curator of the Toy Collection at the Museum of the City of New York, developed the long-term gallery installation "New York Toy Stories" and several special exhibitions.

Customer Reviews

A dollhouse for serious art collectors!
First Line: One of the most celebrated and distinctive objects in the Museum of the City of New York's Toy Collection is the Stettheimer Dollhouse, made between the world wars by Carrie Walter Stettheimer (1869-1944).


The oldest of three wealthy sisters, Carrie Walter Stettheimer assumed the responsibilities of running a large and very social household while her two younger sisters pursued their own artistic talents. For nineteen years Carrie worked on this dollhouse, and it's obvious just from looking at the rooms that she had to have had her own artistic aspirations. She made many of the furnishings by hand, and she purchased and embellished many others. As a window into the world between the wars, Carrie's dollhouse is of importance, but what truly sets it apart from all others is its art gallery. Many of the Stettheimers' friends were well-known artists, and they contributed tiny works of art to the dollhouse.

Both photos and text are fascinating and make me want to learn more about the Stettheimers. The book also reminds me of when I wanted my own dollhouse to furnish when I was a little girl. The Stettheimer Dollhouse would be of interest to anyone who collects dollhouses and miniatures.

An artist's dreamhouse
The Stettheimer Dollhouse, published by Pomegranate, gives the story and includes detailed pictures of Carrie Walter Stettheimer's dollhouse, an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. Stettheimer and her family were hosts of a popular salon in 1920's New York, and the artistic atmosphere of her friends and family are evident in the creation of her dollhouse. The book, edited by Shelia W. Clark, is chiefly photographs, showing the intricate details of Stettheimer's work, featuring the furnishings and accessories she created and collected over the course of two decades.

The dollhouse's lasting legacy in the art world is its featured miniature artwork and sculptures, made by the Stettheimer family and members of their salon. Most notable is Marcel Duchamp's tiny recreation of his own Nude Descending a Staircase.

The dollhouse was a serious work to which Carrie Stettheimer and her contributing artists gave amazing detail. While the house was not made as a toy (and the lack of any actual dolls does make it seem a little empty), it will stir up memories for anyone who has ever had or wanted a dollhouse of their own.