I posted about this last year in Intro to American Cultures, so forgive me if you already read about this! I am very interested in writing about the subject of this exhibit for my thesis, which is why I'm posting about it twice.
The Fairy Castle is a huge (about eight feet square) dollhouse that was built by silent film actress Colleen Moore before and during the Great Depression. Moore received donated time and artifacts from over seven hundred individuals, many of whom were famous authors, artists, and art collectors, as well as expert jewelry designers, architects, and electricians. (I highly encourage clicking the link at the bottom of the post to see the castle, since it's absolutely amazing!) When the dollhouse was completed in 1935, Moore organized a traveling exhibit to raise money for children's charities. She raised about $650,000 in just four years, all of which was donated to needy children in the Great Depression.
Today, the dollhouse is in a permanent exhibit in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. I visited it in person a few years ago, and I was struck by how much effort was made to preserve Moore's original intention of childlike fascination. The historical component is downplayed in order to focus attention entirely on the dollhouse, which is encased in glass in the center of the room and dramatically lit in a dreamy twilight state.
As per Moore's instructions, no dolls are actually present. This was meant to ensure that children could imagine anyone, real or imaginary, or even themselves, in it. The exhibit's intent is best described by the dollhouse's architect, Horace Jackson, when he said "the architecture must have no sense of reality. We must invent a structure that is everybody's conception of an enchanted castle."
Read more about the exhibit here!
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