Vintage Fold-Away Doll House

Oh, if only we could take our dolls houses with us wherever we go, just like George Jetson and his (flying) car-that-folds-into-a-suitcase. :)

Well, now I can! I found this very neat vintage "Fold-Away Doll House," made in 1949, through a US eBay seller ($5.99). Published by Rudolph J. Gutmann (New York), the book states that the rooms were designed by a Catherine Barnes. Made of heavy cardboard, the "house" is fashioned as a book, but opens into a tri-fold that reveals panels of brightly-colored rooms that prop up into a kitchen, dining/living room, and a bedroom.

Here is the cover and the back:

And the inside:

You'll see from the cover illustration that it originally came with "punch-out" furniture, none of which survives here. A little bit of internet searching showed that ones in very good condition with the furniture go for $120 or so. Given the lack of said punch-out furniture, I had to use some of my own:

It was fun and challenging to work off a two dimensional backdrop that represents three dimensional objects. I used all different scales, but 1:16 worked best. Storage is easy on this one...makes me want to add more to my collection. I'd love to find a similar one from the 1960s.

Credits: Kitchen: table, chairs, and side table are vintage Jean of West Germany; sink is vintage German; plates, dish soap and treats are Re-ment; bowl is an eBay find. Living room: chair is a vintage eBay find; table is vintage Petite Princess; marble bust is my husband's; sideboard and pink pot with flower are vintage German; books are handmade by Oese; vase is Manor House Miniatures. Bedroom: bed and rocking horse are vintage German; cradle is vintage Fisher Price; toys are Re-ment and Japanese erasers.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in these scenes with a few exceptions. In the kitchen, the treats and white plates are from Bread & Butter #10, "Elegant Muffins and Scones," and are slightly large for 1:12. The flowered tray is from Princess Tea Party #4, and is large for 1:12. The soap on the sink is from Is Dinner Ready Yet #10, "Clean Kitchen," and is good for 1:12.