The Stettheimer Dollhouse, 1916 New York City, NY ❤️
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the Stettheimer Dollhouse, a remarkable historical piece of American art, residing in the Museum of the City of New York. This dollhouse was the conception of Carrie Stettheimer, who was inspired by a similar dollhouse she built during a local fundraiser, while on vacation in upstate New York. Upon her return home, she began working on her dollhouse along with her two sisters, Henrietta and Florence, all highly influential artists and socialites of the New York art and social scenes of the time.
The Sisters
The sisters lived in New York with their mother and siblings (there were five) during the 1920's. According artnet.com, the family was of German Jew decent and their father abandoned the family. The sisters, were well known as Carrie was an aspiring stage designer, Henrietta a writer, and Florence a playwright and artist. The sisters were Feminist socialites who along with their mother, often held salon social events in their New York City home. It was during these events their elite friends participated in creating miniature replicas of their famous life size versions. For this reason, this intricately crafted dollhouse is celebrated for its unique artistic detail and rich artistic contributions by highly celebrated artists of the time.
The Dollhouse
The dollhouse itself measures approximately 28 inches high, 48 inches wide, and 23 inches deep, and is a two-story, 12 room townhouse. Each room is meticulously designed utilizing a variety of materials, including wood, fabric, and painted paper. Each item within the house, from the hand-painted wallpaper to the carefully arranged table settings, showcases modernist art and design, which were revolutionary at the time. The rooms are adorned with art from notable figures from the New York art world, such as Gaston Lachaise, William Zorach, Carl Sprinchorn, Alexander Archipenko, Albert Gleizes, Paul Thevenaz, Marcel Duchamp, Gertrude Stein and Georgia O'Keefe. This personalization adds a priceless layer of depth to this home.
Value
In addition to being worth over $10 Million, the Stettheimer Dollhouse has significant historical value. It represents a unique intersection of art, feminism, and personal expression in the early 20th century and a great display of the intricate social connection amongst the art and social genres.
After Carrie Stettheimer's death in 1944, the only surviving sister, Henrietta Stettheimer, donated the dollhouse to the Museum of the City of New York, where it has been preserved and showcased until today. The house was taken off display for restoration and is due to begin display this year 2024 so make sure you call before you go!