Most of us are aware of her glorious dollshouse now on display at Windsor Castle; some of us have been lucky enough to see it in person. Less well known, however, are the smaller pieces from earlier in her life. Among these is the "Queen Mary's Rooms" cabinet house now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood.
According to the museum: "These two rooms were made by David Allan, who worked in Buckingham Palace where he was responsible for the textiles and upholstery. Queen Mary collected the furniture, which was made as a matching set, and all the other miniature items with which the rooms were decorated. She gave the rooms to the Museum of Childhood in 1924, the same year that the famous Queen Mary's dolls' house, on display at Windsor Castle, was made as a tribute to her."
This charming little cabinet inspired me to make my own version. I left off the door, changed moldings and the color, and made the interior considerably grander. I called mine "A Portable Baby House," and it was my class for IGMA Guild School last summer. With Christmas on the way, I've just made a version decorated for the holidays:
I wonder what Queen Mary would think!
https://nellcorkin.com/A_Christmas_Cottage.php
