Exploring the Centennial

The sheer excitement and awe that comes with exploring an old dolls house like the Centennial is written all over Little Archy's face. 

Sometimes I wish I could make myself small, and have my own journey of discovery through it!

Well, in fact I do! I mean, the second I start 'wandering' through the rooms visually, my mind takes me there and I become small like Archy. And I bet you have the same, when you wander through your own dolls houses! There is nothing that our imagination cannot do, we should always remember that!

 

© 2024  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Centennial robin

Hello friends! Here's another picture of the little porcelain robin; this time resting on the parapet of the old "Centennial" dolls house. Isn't it a beauty!?

 

© 2023  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Presence

An empty room. The golden hour, and the scent of stillness, mixed with the breath of the flowers in the garden, seeping in through the cracks in the ancient doors.

No one there, yet one can almost feel the presence of someone, or something, in the room. Voices and memories from the past cling tenaciously to the old walls and curtains. It's just another afternoon in the Centennial, that peculiar, silent majesty.

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

The magic of the Centennial.

Seen here almost empty in an early photo, the Centennial has captured my heart and my imagination from the very moment I laid my eyes on her in the city of Amsterdam.

 

This 100-year-old beauty has a charisma that makes her almost breathe and be alive!
 

I've added quite a lot of items and furniture since this photo was taken, making her even more interesting and beautiful than she already was. Most of these items are very old too and, like her, have aged gracefully.

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

A day in the life.

It's a bleak day in February, as the three little sisters Mies, Corry, and Magda play inside with their dolls house after enjoying a warm, afternoon snack.

The house was made specially for them by their father, mister Willemse; a gentle and wise man who adores his three little angels. It has a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, and two other big rooms that can be used for various purposes.

The girls play, fully absorbed in the magical world of children's make-believe, and their spirited chatter sounds like music to the ears of their proud dad.

These are the precious moments of happiness that are revealed to those who have the wisdom and open heart to recognize and value them.

 

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

The Smallest

Behold the latest -and smallest- addition to my collection of antique and vintage dolls houses! 

Pictured here inside the big 'Centennial' dolls house, this little beauty stands only 9 cm tall. Its width is 4,5 cm and is 6 cm deep (for my American friends, that is: 3.54x17.7x2.36 inches).

The house is made of plywood and is covered with paper. The inside is an empty space with no floors, but that can be changed if desired. I have no idea about her age, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's from 1950s vintage.

I'm thrilled with this little gem, as she mimics the 'look' of my bigger dolls houses perfectly. Just like her 'big sisters' she shows her age, and that makes her so fascinating! I couldn't wish for a better item to decorate one of my dolls houses with!

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Battered beauty

Hello Friends, I hope you're  doing well!

The "Centennial" is one of my favorite -if not the favorite-  dolls houses in my collection. It was generously given to me for free by a very nice elderly couple living in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 

 

 

The house was built in the early 1920s by a Dutch gentleman named Mister Willemse for his three young daughters Mies, Corry, and Magda.    

Being obviously a wise man, as well as an excellent carpenter, he ensured that the three girls would be able to play together, by building it in such a way that it could be accessed on three sides simultaneously. The above image shows the house in the "closed" mode, i.e. with the removable wall panels attached.

 

Naturally, the house has seen quite some wear and tear throughout her 100 years history, as well as some alterations, some of which were not for the better, I must say. Even so, I totally love the way she looks today because, to me, all her 'scars' are a testament to her longevity. 

 

 

This blog posting is focused on the outside of the house, and is meant to show you its 'battle scars' in detail. People often tend to see tear and wear on old dolls houses as something to be 'fixed', while in reality they just show the passage of time, and definitely add character and charm to an old lady such as this. They call it 'damages', I call it LIFE.

 

Needless to say that I keep this beauty 'as is', and the only things that I might consider 'fixing' are really minor, 'post Mr. Willemse' alterations, such as the white paint on the glass window above the entrance door.

 

 

 

The above image clearly shows the original brown paper underneath a more 'contemporary' one. I'm not even thinking of removing the latter, choosing instead to leave it like this, so you can get a glimpse of the past underneath its current top layer.

 

 

 

 

Same for the deliciously weathered roof; the tiled paper is missing in many places around the edge of the roof, but i just LOVE the way it looks today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoyed this post! If so, please consider 'following' me on this platform, Instagram, or Facebook. Your visits and comments are highly appreciated! See you again soon!

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Blackbird

A handsome blackbird landed today on the Centennial dolls house. Such a cute little fellow..!

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

A Little Boat

A little boat rests perched on a wall cap inside the Centennial dolls house. I'm sure she's sharing her adventures with the miniature steam engine that chose the same spot to relax.

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Sneak Peak

Below is a 'sneak peak' of one of the rooms of "The Centennial," which is my favorite dolls house. She's over one hundred years old, and my first dolls house of that age, hence the name I gave her. 

I have more "centennials" in my collection, but this one, which I got as a gift from a nice elderly couple in Amsterdam, definitely holds a very special place in my heart!

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Piglet

Piglet lives in my living room. From his vantage point on top of the Centennial, he oversees the entire room, as if standing guard. 

His metal body seems to be made of recycled items. He has been with me for a few years now, and I enjoy his silent company. I think he's quite cute; do you?

 

© 2023  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Let there be love!

Mister and Mrs Elephant show each other some affection in the living room of The Centennial.

© 2022  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Dolls Houses: A Passage in The Centennial

A dim lit passage in the entrails of The Centennial leads from the entrance to the kitchen at the back of the house, past a dormitory and the bathroom.

 

© 2022  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Dolls houses: A corner in a room of The Centennial

A corner in a room of The Centennial, arguably my favorite dolls house. She's been with me for three years now, and I enjoy looking at her every day! 

The peace and tranquility that reigns in that antique dolls house gives me comfort and calms me down. Long may she keep me company, for I cannot imagine a life without her!

 

© 2022  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Doors

 Some doors lead towards the light.

© 2022  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Big Bow

In front of The Centennial stands a girl with a very big bow on top of her pretty head. Next to her sits her trusty Golden Retriever, a sweetheart that never leaves her side. She looks at the distance with firm and confident gaze. A subtle smile adorns her lips. Who is she, and what is she doing here? Is she somehow related to the Three Girls of The Centennial? So many questions tremble nervous in the air, but silence is the only answer they get. 

 

 

 

As the night turns to day, and the cold light of morning invades the land, the girl and her dog vanish into the spirit world again. Outside the birds sing their happy song; inside all that remains is a memory, and the yet unanswered questions.

 

© 2022  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Rust & Steel photography: looking inside The Centennial.

Peering through a window of the ancient, "Centennial" dolls house, one can almost sense its silent magic. 

There is something bewitching about the old walls, the crooked doors, the dusty floors. The sheer stillness and beauty of the place, so quiet, makes it a joy to photograph! While editing the result of my latest photo shoot, I suddenly noticed something on one of the pics that I hadn't noticed when I was taking them. Right there, on the top part of the green door: is that... an 'orb'?

I may be inclined to think that those are mere reflections of dust particles, a common phenomenon that occurs in low-light circumstances, when a camera flash is used. However, no flash was used here, as the room was quite bright. So..., could that 'orb' mean that the three little sisters were at play again? Maybe they were simply curious about the 'new' artifacts placed in the room, and were checking them out.. Whatever the case may be, I hope they're happy!

 

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

 

A beautiful birdcage.

Yesterday, I added a very nice birdcage to my miniatures collection.

The cage is beautifully detailed, and even has a few tiny little birds inside! It sits on a matching table, and can be displayed either with or without it. Also, its doors can be opened. I bought it in the wonderful miniatures shop of Joop & Kriena van Heeren, in Gouda, The Netherlands. It's always a joy to visit their shop, and marvel at all the beautiful items they have on display.

I still need to figure out where the cage will be placed, but I couldn't resist the temptation of putting it in my ancient "Centennial" dolls house, and take a few pictures of it!

 

 

 

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

 

The Centennial: a mysterious view of the kitchen.

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

 

Annabella.

Hi all, I hope you're doing well!!

Introducing Annabella. She arrived here very recently from Germany, and was welcomed by her new family of little dolls. 

But before she actually joined them, she spent one night in my oldest dolls house, known as "The Centennial."

 

It is said that the old house has walls that whisper, but, being such a young child, Annabella wasn't bothered by any of that. In fact, she was quite happy to see the three little girls coming out of the walls, and stand around her cot to welcome the new arrival. Their eyes were bright and their facial expressions were a mix of delight and curiosity. Annabella looked at them, and smiled. Then they sang sweet lullabies to her, until she fell fast asleep.

And so the first night passed for Annabella in her new home. Now she's part of the family. She belongs.

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.