Beatrix Potter doll's house gets a full makeover
A special doll's house which inspired the stories of children's author Beatrix Potter is going back on display after 300 hours of work to get it back in tip top condition. Seventy-three miniature items including furniture, plates of food and even a tiny chandelier were repaired and cleaned by conservation teams at the National Trust.The work to restore the doll's house to its former glory included filling cracks, mending torn wallpaper and reattaching broken or loose pieces.Once the repairs were completed, a full clean took place, with micro-vacuum cleaners used for silk cushion covers.
The items found in the house were given to the author by her publisher Norman Warne for inspiration.They feature in her book The Tale Of Two Bad Mice. In the book, Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb attempt to steal some miniature doll's house food - only to discover it's glued to the plates!Mr Warne went on to propose to the author who accepted, but he died in 1905 before they could marry.In the 1930s, Beatrix Potter bought the doll's house in which the items are now kept. "The doll's house contents are really important because they feature so strongly in one of Beatrix's best-loved tales but also because of the significance to her life and her relationship with Norman Warne," said Hill Top property curator Katy Canales. "Beatrix acquired this doll's house in her 70s and welcomed the children in her life to play with it."
The house will be kept in an interactive case so visitors can take a look at some of the different objects.The work to restore the doll's house was carried out ahead of the house becoming the centrepiece of a brand new exhibition at Hill Top, the author's farm near Hawkshead in Cumbria.It'll be put on display alongside a letter written by Beatrix Potter to a young American boy, containing a description and illustration of pet mouse Hunca Munca.
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