The Paper Doll's House of Miss Sarah Elizabeth Birdsall Otis, aged Twelve

Description

In 1884, at the age of twelve, the remarkable Miss Sarah Elizabeth Birdsall Otis - known to all as Birdie - made an extraordinary paper doll's house in the form of a book. While these were fashionable enough at the time, they were usually drawn and painted: Birdie, however, chose the medium of collage. Her album's exquisite rooms, accompanying paper dolls and tiny accessories are true works of art, full of period charm but also distinctly appealing to a modern taste and sensibility. Eric Boman's full-colour photographs capture Birdie's remarkably vivid fantasy world in all its quirky splendour. Boman also tells her life story and the background to the making of the doll's house through turn-of- the-century photographs found in her family albums. With an envelope at the back of the book containing press-out dolls and sticker costumes from the original collection, this publication showcases an astonishing example of youthful creativity.

Eric Boman is the author of Blahnik by Boman, Dames: Women with Initiative and Attitude and Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel, all published by Thames & Hudson.

'A curiosity of a picture book ... an uncommon object sure to delight interiors fanatics everywhere' - Observer 'A very welcome plaything for the young at heart' - Antiques Diary 'A slice of 19th-century Americana brought to light' - World of Interiors 'The Thames and Hudson version contains perfectly reproduced rooms and accessories, as well as the designs of the original eight paper dolls and their clothes' - Daily Telegraph 'The paper dolls and tiny accessories are works of art' - Daily Mail 'These exquisite and sophisticatedly naive collages, full of colourful cut-outs from contemporary advertisements and catalogues, make for a pretty album which will appeal to little girls of all ages, grannies, maiden aunts, et al' - maturetimes.co.uk