Special delivery

It's early morning as an hideous, nightmarish figure carrying a letter in its beak, skates its way into the lovely "Maison de Marguerite."

Where does this monstrosity posing as a postal worker come from, if not from the very depths of Hell, and which sinister message is it delivering? One is instantly reminded of something out of a Hieronymus Bosch painting, and in fact, it is!

Just take a look at the lower right corner of the left panel of the "The Temptation of St. Anthony" triptych depicted below and... there it is!

Five centuries have past, and the creature has still not been able to deliver its letter. And maybe it's better this way. Maybe... even for the sake of Humanity!

 

 

 

 

© 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. Above and inset: The Temptation of St. Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch, ca. 1500.

Wish

"Are you sure you'll be able to fly in that plane?" asked Claire, "It doesn't even have wings!"

"Of course we will," replied the Big Bear, "most of the flying is in the wishing!"

 

© 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.

To Sleep

To die, to sleep—
No more—and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep—
To sleep—perchance to dream.

Hamlet (1602) William Shakespeare,

 

Photo: the attic bedroom of a dolls house made by a ten-years-old girl and his dad, circa 1914. From my own collection.

© 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.

Old kitchen

Here's a sneak preview of an old, run-down kitchen room box that I've been working on for a while now. 

It has clearly seen better days, but that's exactly what I like about it. Actually, that's the whole reason I bought it. I want this thing to represent my style, not to look like my mom's kitchen!

It's still pretty much work in progress, yet slowly but surely getting there!

 

© 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.

Outside Becomes Inside

© 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.

Another view

Following my previous post, here's another view of the same room in the "Amsterdam" dolls house, taken from a different angle.

The lamp, curtains, as well as the paintings on the wall all came with the house, so they're an original part of it.

 

© 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.

A peek into The Amsterdam

A sneak peek inside one of my old dolls houses, which I call "The Amsterdam," after the city where I bought it.

Totally handmade, this house has the shape of a cube, with removable panels on all sides, allowing for easy access to the interior.

I can never thank its seller (Mrs Maria) enough for offering it to me for such a bargain price!

This beauty is currently in storage, awaiting its time to see the light of day again, together with some serious refurbishing!

 

© 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.

Wealden

Hi all, I hope you're doing well! This is an edited picture of the front of my old "Wealden" dolls house. 

Currently in storage following the renovation of my apartment, I hope I'll be able to 'unearth' it pretty soon, so I can enjoy it and take more pictures of it!

© 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.

No 30

Dolls house number 30. Behold its staircase in all its desolation. We can see a rusty chain, which once supported a lamp shade, hanging from the ceiling. 

The dirty windows allow the frail daylight in to light the emptiness. A secretive spider calls the house its home.

 

© 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.

Full Metal Jacket

Hi everyone, I hope you're doing well!

Here's a sneak peek of one of my old dolls houses. It's an all metal construction -no wood whatsoever- and quite worn and rusty, which gives it the magical, 'spooky' appearance which I love so much! I believe it to be a Triang, but I'm not sure. Ok, that's it for now, got to go. Have a great day!

© 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 Scale and the Warehouse

I had this huge, heavy, old scale gathering dust at home for a while. It looked very cool, pure weathered wood and rusted metal! It was love at first sight when I laid my eyes upon it, and hence bought it with the idea to use it 'for something' at some point. 

That moment came when I bought this wonderful, vintage 'Dutch' style warehouse. I saw the two and somehow knew that they belonged together. So I added wheels to the ancient scale to make it more easy to move around, then placed the warehouse on it, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

© 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.

Fair (2)

Hi all, this is a follow up to my visit to the dolls houses and miniatures fair in Houten, The Netherlands, last Sunday.

It was very nice and inspiring, as such events usually are! I got to meet very dedicated and creative people, and to see their wonderful work up close!

One of the 'memento's' I bought that day was a beautiful small doll, very delicately dressed and measuring only 7 cm (2.75 inches) in height, as well as a even smaller doll from the same artist. The small one is only 3 cm (1.18 inches), and as you can see below, she has become a doll for the 'big' one! 

I cannot imagine any better way to start the new year! ⭐

 

© 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.

Number 30: a beautiful, old dolls house.

Hi everyone, I hope you're doing well!

A little over a week ago, I purchased a beautiful, old dolls house. I wasn't planning to; she just 'happened' to cross my path, as is often the case, and I didn't hesitate for a moment. Here you see her standing on my living room table, right after arrival.

I have no idea how old she is, but she must be very vintage. Her previous owner 'worked' on her for some time, then decided to get rid of her. Well, you won't hear me complain!

She was basically stripped bare, but I got all kinds of bits and pieces, including ancient curtains, that -thankfully- the previous owner kept while doing his 'restoration' work.

Those bits and pieces I intend to use in due time, but it's not my intention to make her look all shiny and new again, in fact I love her just the way she is!
Besides, one must be careful when working on such old houses, they deserve lots of caution, love and respect!

The house is pretty much complete, even with the glass of the windows still intact, except for a small window which I will replace. Some of the glass had been removed, but came as part of the 'stash' that I got with the house.

Next to the main entrance there is a number '30,' hence I decided to name the house -and this project-  accordingly.

I totally love the staircase, which doesn't look anything like your regular dolls house staircase. The floor around it misses a couple of tiles, but I think I've seen them between the 'rubble'. If not, I don't mind leaving them out, as 'derelict' is my middle name when it comes to dolls houses (and, yes, less is definitely more!).

On the right side of the house, on the first floor, there's a beautiful balcony with two big doors.I imagine the balcony was tiled but I'm not sure, I'll have to study it in more detail.

The wooden roof tiles are quite thick and sturdy!

Below picture: Number 30 in the living room, just after arrival, with in the background "The Centennial" dolls house. I wouldn't be surprised if they're from around the same time period, although I have the feeling that this one is slightly younger. But then again, some ladies of a certain age do defy the passage of time quite successfully!

That's all for now, folks!  Thanks for visiting, 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 Magical Dolls House.

On a rainy evening in September, I set course to Amsterdam to pick up one of the most magical dolls houses I've ever seen. It was huge, one hundred years old, and it was being offered to me for free!

'The Centennial' sitting on my drawing table.

The friendly couple welcomed me in their beautiful apartment, and there it was, sitting on the floor, ready and waiting to be picked up! I couldn't believe my luck to see such a one-of-a-kind dolls house 'staring' at me! And to think that I might just as well never have seen it, were it not that I learned of its existence only through my curiosity!

'The Centennial' sitting on the living room table, shortly after arriving in her new home. I hardly managed to get it through the front door!

The lady of the house, Mrs Lona, was selling the dolls house's furniture, and had put some pics of the items online, but there was no mention of any dolls house. Yet, looking at the pics, I was actually drawn more to the background, than to the furniture on sale! This background revealed a bit of what appeared to be an mysterious, weathered room box. So I inquired further, and the lady said that it wasn't a room box, but an entire house, and that I could just come and pick it up if I wanted it! I had not seen any pictures of it at that point, so all I knew was that it was very big, and very old, a century old, to be precise!

So I took my car and off I went to Amsterdam, not knowing what was in store for me! Crazy as I am for old, weathered dolls houses, this one was like a dream come true! I didn't know where to look, or how to feel... and as 'cherry on the cake', Mrs Lona knew the interesting story of the house's origins...

At the beginning of last century, a man with three young daughters made this house for them to play with. That is the reason it opens up on three of its sides, so they could play with it all three at the same time! A very smart solution to keep the three little scoundrels busy! I could picture them playing with the house so long ago, and found the thought very endearing.

Later on, back home, I studied it in more detail, and saw that the house had been through some changes during its long life. Someone, at some point, had added things to it, like drawing pins to uphold some of the curtains, a few pieces of furniture of a later date, including a plastic shelf, and maybe new wallpaper in some places on top of the original one. But even this 'new' paper had faded and grown old with time, just like in a real house!

Needless to say that 'm totally in love with the house, which I called 'The Centennial' for obvious reasons! I have several other houses, vintage ones, some of them in their 80's, and I love them all like children, but none of them is as old as this one, nor give me the feeling of awe that this one does! It's all wood, cardboard perhaps, and glass: basic, natural materials which I love to work with myself! And although it's not 'fancy' or posh or anything, it definitely has a soul that makes it beautiful!

And it was born out of the love of a man for his three little darlings, so it has a certain 'aura' around it which I can literally feel, but not describe.. 

None of them are alive today, yet I really hope that they come to visit their house from time to time, while I'm asleep, and play with it as they did a century ago...

The images you see here are but a beginning. The house will surely feature in future photo shoots! There is so much to see and photograph! By the way, it's shown here with its side panels removed, to allow you to look inside, but the panels are there, the house is complete!

I cannot thank Mrs Lona and her husband enough for this wonderful and generous gift! They know that I'll take very good care of mister Willemsen's beautiful creation, for that was the name of the dolls house builder: mister Willemsen.

An engraved glass panel above the front door.

Above image: the house has ancient light switches in most of the rooms, so you can lit them individually. Having no switch of its own, the bathroom is lit with this one, which also services the kitchen.

Thanks for visiting, 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 Wealden house's little secret....

I just knew there was something odd about the old Wealden house! And I was right, for it came with a little secret..! I was studying one of the vacant rooms, when I heard something moving in the room next to it. It sounded like an object rolling and squeaking, accompanied by what sounded like a faint children's laughter. And although the sound of a child's cheerful mirth invariably puts a smile on my face, this one actually made the blood in my veins run cold.

And, suddenly, the spectre of an infant riding an old, wooden go-cart came out of the darkness, and through the open door! His arms up in the air and his eyes, well, I don't think I'll easily forget those! And as it drove towards me, grinning, it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared...

I just knew there was something strange about the Wealden house, and now that 'something' had manifested itself to me.

© 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: Tri-ang dolls house N0 61 [1937]

Hi everybody, as always, I hope you're doing well!

Today I'm sharing images of my recently acquired vintage Tri-ang dolls house No 61. It's my very first dolls house by the famous English brand, and I'm totally thrilled with it!

The house is very, very old; in fact this particular model is an improved, 1937 version of the original model which started production in 1932, making this lady at least 80 years old! Needless to say that it shows its age, which is exactly why I love it so much! It looks like a time traveler from another era, another world actually, when one realizes all the events that took place around us since the house was built, and how different the world looked back then!

This blog will show you 'No 61' in exquisite detail, so sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Above image: the house shortly after arrival, sitting in my workshop. Note the unusually large horse shoe above the front windows. Traces of two smaller ones could also be found above the garage door and the porch, but those were long since gone. And although I usually don't change anything, that big horse shoe had to go too!

You can see the run down state the house is in: the paper covering the roof is peeling off, the wood shows cracks, and one of the garage doors is bended, probably due to storage in moist or damp conditions. In sum: she looks like a dream to me!

The above image shows the horse shoe already removed. But instead of trying to erase all traces of its existence, I kept the ghostly impression it left on the wall, like a scar of sorts (below image).

Above image: the porch to the left of the house. Below: a close-up of the rose bush painted on the front. As you can see this was done by hand, so no two were the same. It does look very pretty!

Above and below:  a study of the window box which was added in 1937 as an improvement to the original, 1932 version of the house. This addition is mentioned in the catalogue, a caption of which you can see at the bottom of this blog.

Above and below: the blue garage doors showing their age. As you can see, the dolls house is finished rather 'crudely', compared to today's standards. I guess one of the reasons for that, is the fact that they needed to be tough and safe for children to play with. Today's dolls house builders target a different audience, namely adult collectors, who deal with them in a very different way. It's also worth mentioning that each dolls house is unique, as it was hand made. These houses were quite expensive too. So much so, that they would be prohibitive for most families back then.

Above: close-up of the garage door knob and door hinge. Below: the window box at the front of the house, seen from the inside. Note the clips securing the metal windows to the wooden wall frame.

 

Above and below: a sneak peek inside the house, showing the decrepit floral wallpaper and a light bulb.

Below: the house misses the original hook that secured the hinged front to the main structure. A make shift replacement hook using a piece of metal wire was made at some point in time, which is pictured here. My intention is to replace it with a fitting hook.

Above and below: the paper covering the roof suffered with the passing of time, making it look a bit like dried skin. But this makes the house the more beautiful and interesting!

Above: the Tri-ang paper certificate underneath the dolls house. Below: the battery holder shows some slight signs of corrosion...

Above: a fine study of the beautifully shaped roof of 'No 61'. Looking at it, I realize how lucky I am to have found this little treasure!

Above: concluding this tour, here's an 'artistic impression' of House No 61 in the 1937 catalog, that at the time still mentioned the name L. B. Ltd (Lines Brothers Ltd). They were the founders of the company that later became known under the brand name Tri-ang.

* * *

Thanks for visiting, 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.