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.

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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.