Victoria’s Choice (The 1881 House)

Artist and Museum of Miniature Houses founder Suzanne Landshof started her miniatures journey with the ambitious project of this large dollhouse in 1981. She decided on a setting 100 years before the day she started, thus the moniker of “The 1881 House.” However, it took Landshof five years to finish this piece, handcrafting seventeen pieces of the furniture, window treatments, bedding, and carpets. The roof is covered with over 2,000 individual shingles and the shutters were handmade with working hardware. The curtains in the nursery were made from a turn-of-the-century petticoat, and the living room curtains were crafted from a 1930’s blouse.
This house was made from a kit by the Real Good Toy Company, and was intended as a play dollhouse, rather than a scale-miniature kit. As such, the house is designed to break apart in segments to allow for play, and the structure is sturdier and bulkier than a typical art-piece dollhouse. Landshof struggled to electrify the building and bring the pieces into a single unified structure, working uphill to make a piece that has stood the test of time. Even from this early piece, Landshof’s eye for quality, attention to detail, and penchant for storytelling shines brightly. Donated by Suzanne Landshof.