The theme of MINIATURES came to mind after viewing a blog post called A Mountain of Miniatures on the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies website – check it out - and since then I seem to be seeing miniatures everywhere! It also focused my attention on a corner of our living room where my Mom had a miniature collection which includes my aunt’s pewter tea set. Aunt M was born in 1921 so these pieces are about one hundred years old, and I was always told, as a child, that they were only to be looked at, not played with. My aunt was twelve years older than my mother who was likely given the same message – look, don’t touch!
Closer examination of this little shelf revealed several items I admit to never having noticed before, including a tiny metal deer and rabbit and two miniature Japanese vases, all of which fit Susan Manyluk’s definition of being small enough to “stand on a postage stamp”. There are also two crystal salt cellars with spoons – who knew?!
The role of miniatures to enhance a story is a recurrent theme throughout many of the articles including Catharina VanTooren’s travel log of her visit to the far north, the miniature family keepsakes in Susan
Manyluk’s collection, and of course in Chris Aanderson’s Storytelling piece.
We welcome a new advertiser, ACQUIRED ALLSORTS in Stockholm, Saskatchewan. Owner Angie took early retirement to fulfill her dream of owning an antique shop, which opened last December. Angie is a longtime collector – our phone call took place at a flea market outing – whose interests have broadened as she has acquired all sorts of things, hence the shop name! Open by appointment, Angie suggests connecting on social media as the best starting point.
Our show list is bursting with antique, collectable, vintage, mid-century and retro events across the region, and we know there are many more things happening that we simply could not fit in. Please send us your event details so we can help promote them online, even if we may have missed them in the print listing, and remember that October 20 is the deadline for the winter (December, January, February) issue.
Happy reading,
Kathleen Raines, Discovering ANTIQUES
Discovering ANTIQUES
VOLUME 27 | NO. 3 | 2024
PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Kathleen Raines
LAYOUT & AD DESIGN
Crystal Ink • crystalink.ca
Front Cover: Modern miniaturists sometimes choose to feature a room or a vignette rather than an entire house. Photo by Dawn-Marie Nokleby, from the collection of Nancy Haponiuk.
Discovering ANTIQUES is published four times a year. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of Discovering ANTIQUES. Discovering ANTIQUES assumes no responsibility for lost material. All Magazine Inquires: (403)728-3145 discoveringantiques18@gmail.com
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Contributors Discovering
Chris Aanderson devotes a part of each summer break from his job teaching social studies and media arts at Victoria School of the Arts in Edmonton to pen a contribution for our fall issue. This time he focuses on the role of miniatures to enhance a story through the ages.
Maria Haubrich digs into the distinction between models and miniatures, sharing collectable examples of both in Research Rescue. Maria is an AIAcertified appraiser, a collector
and an online entrepreneur who lives west of Red Deer, Alberta.
With her extensive experience as a silversmith and her love of all things metal, it’s no surprise that Susan Holme Manyluk chose to focus on metal miniatures for this issue. Susan can almost always be found at HolmeHus Antiques and The Farm with The Good Food near Red Deer, Alberta.
Dawn-Marie Nokleby shares her passion for and expertise
about dolls and all things doll-related in her highly informative, entertaining and readable articles. Dawn is past president of the Doll Club of Edmonton and Wild Rose Antique Collectors Society.
Catharina VanTooren has shared many travel adventures in past issues, and a trip to the far north yields a great story and some beautiful little artwork for this Miniatures issue. Catharina operates Roseberry Antiques in Calgary.
Do you have a story about antiques that you'd like to submit for the next issue? Reach out to the Editor today! DISCOVERINGANTIQUES18@GMAIL.COM
a world made Miniature
BY DAWN-MARIE NOKLEBY
You've probably seen a dollhouse or two over the years. You might have had one yourself – or a sibling or child of yours may have had one. You probably didn't give them a second thought.
Dollhouses are as varied as they are numerous and there are many interesting things about them. They have a history which stretches back centuries and, in many ways, they have come full circle and returned to their original roots.
While miniature room settings can be
traced back to the ancient world, these items were really religious in nature, meant to provide for one's spirit in the afterlife. Although they might be the ancient forebears of dollhouses, they are so different in purpose that we shall pass them by and skip ahead to the 1500s, for that is where we first see what we would recognize as a dollhouse.
Originally, dollhouses were miniature rooms built into a cabinet. These "cabinet houses" appeared across Europe in the 16th century and had but one purpose:
to display the finest miniature items from the collections of wealthy women.
These miniatures were crafted by fine craftsmen and designers and executed in precise detail in expensive materials. Wealthy and noble women often amassed great collections of them and the miniature rooms were simply a method of display.
By the 19th and early 20th centuries these had evolved. The cabinet of rooms had become something more like a house and the houses and contents were no longer the exclusive realm of rich women! During the Victorian era, it was a popular idea to use a dollhouse full of miniature furnishings to teach young girls about the role of women in society and their duties in becoming mistresses of their own households.
Many European firms manufactured dollhouses (referred to as "Baby Houses”) and they were available in a variety of sizes suitable for families of different means. Although families with less disposable income probably made some of their furnishings (and houses), there were still commercially made miniature furnishings available. These were made of wood, cast metal and even cardboard rather than the expensive materials of earlier generations. Dollhouses had moved from being expensive collector’s items to being toys suited to almost anyone.
In the early 1920s, one of the most famous of all dollhouses was built. Designed by the noted architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was built as a gift for Queen Mary, wife of King George V. Queen Mary's Dolls’ House contains miniature replicas of many items actually found in Windsor Castle, and many of the furnishings were made by Britain's finest craftsmen – very much a throwback to the 16th century houses. It also contains many items which were specifically made for
Continued on Page 8
Dollhouses do not have to be elaborate - often simple is best.
it by famous people - artwork, furniture and even books. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), A.A.Milne (Winnie the Pooh) and J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan) all penned books specifically for the house.
This grand work of art was put on display numerous times over the years to raise money for various charities, especially children's charities. It is now on permanent public display at Windsor Castle and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The publicity and popularity around Queen Mary's dollhouse rekindled an interest in dollhouses marketed towards adults rather than children. It marked a return to the idea of expensive, high quality miniature items made for collectors.
One huge difference between the dollhouses for collectors and those intended for children is the concept of scale. Play houses often don't pay great attention to scale. Frankly, children really don't care. Small dolls, larger teddy bears and Barbies all lived happily together in my childhood dollhousein spite of the fact that several of them barely fit inside. Kids simply don't care.
A dollhouse done completely in a single scale can be a beautiful thing because it creates an illusion – it becomes a perfect world, just in miniature. If one item is out of scale, the illusion of reality is destroyed and it becomes obvious you are looking at something artificial.
Scale is the relationship between a real item and its miniature version. Most collector dollhouses produced today are in 1:12 scale. That means that everything is twelve times smaller than the original. Since the old imperial system of measurement had many peculiarities, there is an easier way to think of this - one inch in the dollhouse is equivalent to one foot in the real world. There are other scales, some more common with dollhouse enthusiasts, and larger scales which are suitable for houses, furniture and accessories for
A quiet spot to write a letter.
larger dolls such as Barbies or 18 inch American Girls.
For anyone interested in dollhouses, the modern world of dollhouses and miniatures provides a virtual smorgasbord of choices. Do you want to craft? Do you want to collect? Are you looking for vintage or antique? Do you want something practical for a child? There are choices for all these possibilities. There are still many play dollhouses currently being made for children. Some are traditionally sized and could be said to be modern versions of the Victorian children's dollhouses.
There are also the aforementioned larger houses for use with their Barbies or larger dolls. Collectors can choose from the tin dollhouses of the 1950s and 60s to the wooden and paper houses of the early 20th century and, although rare in North America, even older European houses. Collectors can also build or buy elaborate and perfectly scaled houses and fill them with intricate and also perfectly scaled miniature furnishings and accessories. You can buy plans, a kit, an unfinished premade house or a finished version. You can make the furnishings yourself or buy individual items made by skilled craftspeople.
There are miniature clubs to join, miniature shows to attend and shop at, magazines for instruction and inspiration, websites to shop and even television shows to entertain you.
Dollhouses are so unique! I cannot think of any other collectable which evolved from a collector's piece to a toy and then regained popularity with collectors. It appears there is room for both play houses and collector’s houses –truly offering a house for everyone.
Dollhouses are from the collection of Nancy Haponiuk, photographs by Dawn-Marie Nokleby
Modern dollhouses may take many forms such as this lighthouse and travel trailer
A cosy country kitchen
Miniature Art Arcticfrom the
BY CATHARINA VANTOOREN
I fell in love with the western Arctic while visiting the far north. On a sunny day in July 2008, we travelled, with great expectations, to Inuvik and Aklavik, Northwest Territories. Inuvik was celebrating its 50th year of existence, and since we had a special connection with both places, we flew to Inuvik with a stopover in Yellowknife. As an aside, I experienced the midnight sun on this trip by setting my alarm at midnight and watching the sun slowly go down and then up again.
My late husband had been stationed for five years at the Communications Naval Base in Aklavik, an active village situated along the Peel River in the middle of the Mackenzie River delta and only accessible by small plane or boat. It was 1956 – the DEW line had just been constructed because the threat of the Cold War was looming.
Aklavik, now a hamlet of less than one thousand people, was once a thriving community with a naval base that was a huge contributor to its economy. But Aklavik was sinking and prone to major flooding. Houses were built on stilts, and water, utilities and sewage were transported through “utilidors”, an above-ground pipeline system. However, the permafrost was also thawing, making the area unsafe for permanent occupation In 1953, the Canadian government started planning to relocate the village. The naval base had to follow suit, and my husband was one of the draftsmen who was developing plans for a new base on more solid ground. A suitable area on the east channel of the Mackenzie River was found, and Inuvik, meaning “a place of people” in Inuvialuktun, was conceived. Rather than relocating, though, the naval base was completely dissolved. The year was 1958. Many of the Aklavik population did not want to relocate, and stayed at the original townsite.
The western Arctic population consists of Inuvialuit, Gwich’in (or Dene), and Métis, as well as an influx of non-aboriginals, mainly due to resource exploration. For example, the manager of The Eskimo Inn, where we stayed, was from Tanzania! The Aboriginal people are well-known craftspeople, and once a year in July, they showcase their creations during the Great Northern Arts Festival
held at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex in Inuvik. Artists from the NWT, Yukon and Nunavut display their wares. Most of the Arctic crafts and miniatures in my possession were bought there during our visit. It was a real eye opener seeing a piece of soapstone transformed into a beautiful figure, meticulous beadwork done by a female elder, colourful wall hangings, intricate jewellery, mukluks and kamiks, but especially the carvings of caribou antler, muskox horn and whalebone. Carving is still mainly done using hand tools, although power tools are
used when working on larger pieces. Artists get their inspiration from the natural shapes of their materials to produce scenes of animals or traditional life.
The western Arctic is known for carvings of wildlife, hunting, fishing and drumming. Wall hangings are a popular art form, giving sewers an opportunity to “tell their story” with colourful shapes combined with embroidery and beads. The people of the Arctic create crafts to tell the stories of their cultural history and spiritual connection with their ancestors, their legends and myths that have been passed on through generations. These beliefs are of great value to them, and they also want to share these beliefs with the wider Western world so that we can better understand them.
Soapstone or steatite, a metamorphic rock, is white to green talc in colour, somewhat resembling jade, and is found locally in the
Arctic and in open pit mines in Ontario and Quebec. It is soft enough to carve but becomes dusty when worked and might hinder breathing. The Inuvialuit and Gwich’in each have their own stories and art styles, and each final product is a unique creation. The artists usually sign their work and register their authenticity, as larger pieces can fetch thousands of dollars. My miniatures were reasonably priced, giving me the opportunity to come home with a suitcase full of treasures.
The Arctic people are resilient, having lived under harsh climate conditions and persevered through the ages. They had to hunt to survive, keeping warm and entertained during the long winter nights. With their ability to create crafts from materials on hand, such as animal skin and bones, they have given us an art form like no other. It was a real privilege for us to see this firsthand.
Discovering shows shows
September 6, 7
Prairie Girls Vintage Market
Cochrane Ag Society Park, Cochrane, AB
Calgary Numismatic Coin Show
Doubletree Hotel, Calgary, AB
September 8
Doll Club of Edmonton
40th Anniversary Show and Sale
Italian Cultural Centre, Edmonton, AB
September 13, 14
Queen City Vintage Market
Caledonia Curling Club, Regina, SK
September 14
Vintage and More Outdoor Market
Ibon Antiques, Old Strathcona, Edmonton, AB
Elaine's Antiques & Collectibles Sale
Meadowlark Community Hall, Calgary, AB
September 15
Miniature Enthusiasts of Edmonton Show and Sale
Royal Hotel by Wyndham, Edmonton, AB
September 21
Mid Century Modern Show and Sale
Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association, Calgary, AB
September 27, 28
Showpiece Art and Antique Fair
St. Mary’s Kerrisdale Church, Vancouver, BC
September 28
Calgary Doll Club Antique and Collectible Show and Sale
Acadia Recreation Centre, Calgary, AB
October 5
First Canadian Collectors Club Fall Show and Sale
Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association, Calgary, AB
October 5, 6
Medicine Hat Antiques & Collectibles and Gun & Hobby Show & Sale
Exhibition Field House, Medicine Hat, AB
32nd Annual South Bowl Antiques and Collectibles Fair
Roll-A-Dome, Prince George, BC
Capital City Vintage Market
The Creative Hive, Edmonton, AB
FALL 2024
October 12
Elaine's Short & Sweet
Vintage Antiques & Collectibles Show & Sale
North Glenmore Park
Community Hall, Calgary, AB
Cloverdale Antique and Collectable Show
Shannon Hall and Alice McKay
Buildings, Surrey, BC
October 19
Vintage Redefined Fall Market
Thorncliffe Greenview Recreation Centre, Calgary, AB
4th Annual Prince Albert Antique, Collectible & Gun Show
Exhibition Main Hall, Prince Albert, SK
November 9
Elaine's 2nd Annual Christmas Extravaganza
Bowness Community Hall, Calgary, AB
November 15, 16
Capital City Vintage Market
The Creative Hive, Edmonton, AB
November 23, 24
Piapot Lions 27th Annual Gun, Antiques and Collectables Show and Sale
Armouries, Maple Creek, SK
All events are subject to change/cancellation. Confirm details with event organizers. Discovering Shows is a complimentary listing.
Mostly Metal
MINIATURES...
BY SUSAN HOLME MANYLUK
One of the lovely small surprises happening in my antique shop for the last couple of years has been an interest in and subsequent collection of miniatures.
Fairy gardens, dollhouses, and tiny rural landscapes all demand cunning little inhabitants, scaled-down furniture and fixtures, and tiny plants and animals. The magic of miniatures is in the fun of collecting, curating, repairing and arranging such items in ways that give us pleasant feelings of creative control, artistic payback and vague feelings of divine overview. Playing God or Goddess of a small self-made world is quite gratifying, fun, and inspiring to everyone involved in or supportive of such endeavours.
So, what exactly do collectors look for? Teeny, tiny! Can you see the porcelain mouse in the picture of the spilled milk?
But mostly, what appeals are things with detail, exactitude and artistic charm. Small china or porcelain items copied from their larger renditions and made by famous factories are very much in demand. Limoges, France and Staffordshire, England, were areas known for their miniature production in addition to their regular lines. The little flow blue plate measures exactly seven centimetres in diameter and is transfer printed precisely with the blue willow pattern.
It may have been a salesman sample to encourage china merchants to order such advertising items to sell or give away to favourite customers—a rare, pretty and NOT inexpensive piece.
Tiny items in glass are relatively common, made by Italian, Scandinavian, Bohemian, British or American glass houses. Hot glass, being very malleable, can be bent, formed, and coaxed into a myriad of detailed designs reflective of much larger items. Lampwork, in particular, can reproduce fine detail and specific refinement. Little glass animals should be both to scale and realistic unless whimsy is your choice. I find Italian examples from the past sixty or seventy years are often the most pleasing, whether realistic or whimsical – think Disney, science fiction or comic book characters.
But my preferred material from which tiny treasures are made would be metal. Silver, gold, pewter, brass, pot metal, or other inexpensive alloys could give exact and detailed forms to small articles. If cast from a wax mould (lost wax casting was reinvented and refined by the early Egyptians from Byzantine examples), if made by pouring molten lead-based “pot metal” into moulds made of ceramic or steel, or if constructed from tiny individual pieces of
precious metals, cut out, shaped and filed, soldered together and finally finished by hand, wonderful miniatures were created. Metal of all kinds is mostly a rugged, strong and enduring material from which to make durable, long-lasting tiny items.
Pewter and pot metal are both fairly soft, so they can be bent and manipulated to make very lifelike animal figures with the right angles on legs, ears, and other movable parts so they don’t look stiff and rigidly frozen in time. Cold painting was often applied to give further detail and colour to a host of animals and people intended to be played with lovingly. I still have quite a few from my childhood.
Twenty-five years of working with silver and gold also left me with a love for how infinitely detailed and precise things created from precious metals could be. The tiny sterling silver pitcher is at least a hundred and twenty-some years old and was perhaps made by an apprentice silversmith in either Denmark or Sweden. Bought from an estate on the Danish island of Bornholm, it and the even tinier baby shoe given to me by my aunt have given me great pleasure for many years. The silver baby shoe was originally made for and worn on a chatelaine chain of “charms” to commemorate a baby lost at birth. It was given to my aunt by the porcelain painting instructor who trained her in that art when she suffered the loss of her
little boy before his first birthday. It’s very sad, but it has a tender history attached and a story that lives on.
My grandmother was the one who encouraged the love and esteem for small, detailed silver items - including jewellery – in her daughters and granddaughters. My grandfather indulged this interest by bringing her gifts from his travels as he purchased fine wood for his sawmill near Copenhagen. Her collection held reproductions of functional items such as tiny pepper pots and salt cellars, mocha coffee spoons with intricate entwined finials, pill boxes, richly embossed or engraved matchboxes, knives, sewing tools and silver-topped crystal miniature perfume bottles. Her favourite pieces were divided amongst the family upon her death and are still much loved.
Many famous silversmiths like George Jensen, Fabergé or Uni David-Andersen produced a diverse selection of such items. The beautiful detail that UNI - DA (used as her hallmark) demanded for even the tiniest items of jewellery the firm created cannot be ignored. Her early example of an iconic charm bracelet is totally “charming”, especially the cloverleaf! The firm also worked a lot in pewter, a favourite metal of the Norwegians, and included board game pieces that can be fun to hunt for in your travels.
The Dutch favoured tiny household items reproduced in brass. I believe most were intended for display in small carved wooden cabinets rather than for dollhouse furnishings. I have sold quite a few such brass items to collectors of kitchen miniatures. They include bottles and goblets, frypans and pots, mugs and minuscule cups and saucers. Just do not drop them on the floor since they are vacuum cleaner bait, for sure.
Carved, cast, moulded, constructed, or assembled by hand or machine, items that might be truly tiny to most of us should be given a large dose of respect and admiration for being itty-bitty. Less is more. And if in doubt, anything that can stand on a postage stamp IS a miniature.
Storytelling through miniatures
BY CHRIS AANDERSON
The More We Change the More We Stay the Same
Why would humans cherish miniature objects, let alone make a point of collecting new and antique versions of these scaled-down representations?
They don't have a useful purpose like a chair to sit on, a glass to drink from, or a car to drive in. Yet we make special shelves, boxes, and cases to display these miniatures and hate the idea of ever giving them up, so clearly, these small representations of larger objects are precious to humans. Collecting miniatures is not a new trend, but it can be
seen throughout history, even dug up from settlements thousands of years old. Walk through a museum that shows objects from ancient societies. Aside from practical items like holding vessels, weapons, and tools, the most common are miniatures. These miniatures represent humans, gods, animals and objects. The storytellers of old used media such as clay, wood, bone, stone, and bronze, and now, in the modern day, we use metal, ceramic and plastic. But why all this effort and connection to these miniature objects that serve no practical purpose?
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British Museum display of clay figurines from Thessaly. Early and Middle Neolithic period, 6500 - 5300 BCE. From the excavations of Christos Tsountas at Sesklo and the Collection of Georgios Tsolozidis. Photo by Gary Todd, flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/27837214124
Mesopotamian foundation figures on display at the British Museum. Left to right: Ur-Nammu, reigned 2112-2095 BCE, from the Temple of Inanna at Uruk; Shulgi (son of Ur-Nammu), reigned 2094-2047 BCE, from the Temple of Dimtabba at Ur; Shu-Sin (son of Shulgi), reigned 2037-2029 BCE, the Temple of Inanna at Girsu. worldhistory.org/image/8181/ mesopotamian-foundation-figurines/
STORYTELLING.
Stories are one of our most beloved pieces of humanity passed down from one person to another through speech, writing, or objects. They might be brand new stories, dreamed up by a child holding two tiny figurines, or ancient stories of myths, historical accounts or religious tales told with the aid of tiny objects. We love a visual and tangible representation of those stories; miniatures provide that. We then naturally form attachments to these tiny characters and objects; we crave collecting or crafting new ones, seek out old ones in antique stores, and pass them on to our grandchildren.
I saw the power of this storytelling in the face of a miniature figure just the other day
when antiquing in New Brunswick with an actor/writer friend who came from Alberta to stay with us at our old 1880s-era seaside cottage in Saint John. At the local antique store, our eyes were scanning the hundreds of antiques while sauntering at a Winston Churchill walking pace, as so many of us do at these wonderful stores when she suddenly stopped and gasped as her eyes met some special item. Many of us antique lovers crave that moment of inspired connection. Her hands reached out to find a cute, cheeky little fantasy character no more than five inches high. She hugged him to her chest and declared, “His eyes and little face just spoke to me with so many stories to tell. I need him as my new writing buddy on my desk!” This immensely talented and hardworking woman writes comedy improv skits for theatre and television, so she is undoubtedly tuned to a good story. Well, this little character talked to her with his face and eyes, and she would not give him up. That’s the power of storytelling through miniatures.
It is also impressive to see the art that has been democratized when creating the miniatures that will become the antiques of tomorrow. 3-D printing has broadened the collaboration of artists worldwide, where a 3-D computer modeller somewhere on the planet can pick an object, such as a Viking figure, and work away on this digital clay, crafting this masterpiece like a digital DaVinci.
The artist then uploads the 3-D model file to a sales website where shoppers worldwide can find these sculptures, pay the artist and download a file that they can print at home at any size that fits their printer. A resin 3-D printer brings the fine detail needed for tiny miniatures. It works by the person pouring liquid plastic resin into a tray; then a UV laser or LED light bakes a slice just 0.05mm thick, pre-calculated in the computer, and moves the print up for the next layer, slowly using up the liquid as it prints over minutes or hours. Personal artistry now takes over as a cottage industry painter can apply layer after layer, bringing this sculpture’s texture, hue and saturation to life with their own vision. Alternatively to 3-D printing, these painters can look for existing miniatures in their local antique stores and repaint these
plain figures to become new and amazing art pieces. Some people also use these for roleplaying games that require miniatures, such as Dungeons & Dragons from the 1970s and Warhammer from the early 1980s, which are now very collectable.
Storytelling makes us human and links us to our ancestors as a birthright. Much of antiquing is finding, collecting, and cherishing objects that were a version of technology in their day (much like 3-D printing is now); that story behind them is what draws us in. Ask anyone about a special antique piece they have, and they will tell you the story behind it. Perhaps the figurine on their shelf ignites memories of their kind grandmother, or a favourite childhood toy reminds them of a story they loved, or that piece of ceramic, metal, or plastic represents a character or adventure their mind has taken into a makebelieve world of storytelling. Discovering ANTIQUES often shares the stories behind old objects. So next time you want to have some good fun and fire up your primal urge to connect with the human art of storytelling, take a stroll through your local antique stores. Allow the stories to wash over you, and then pick which story gets to come home with you!
3-D printed and hand painted Viking figure by artist Sam Hjalmarson who also took the photos.
with Maria Haubrich
Miniature or Model? or both?
RESCUE research RESCUE RESCUE research RESCUE RESCUE
When presented with the theme for this issue, I was initially stumped by what object(s) I could talk about related to miniatures. I was having coffee with a friend at my favourite café one afternoon and asked her if she knew what the difference was between miniatures and models - were they the same thing? That prompted the discussion that follows.
I’ve used the term ‘miniature’ interchangeably for years, so felt the need to define each before I could write about them. Out came the massive Random House Dictionary for definitions: min-i-a-ture, n. 1. A representation or image of something on a small or reduced scale. 2. A greatly reduced or abridged form or copy. [etc.] In miniature, in a reduced size; on a small scale.
mod-el, n. 1. A standard or example for imitation or comparison. 2. A representation, generally in miniature, to show the construction or appearance of something. [etc.] 14. Being a small or miniature version of something.
Continued on Page 28
Model Railroad museum diorama
What can collectors and enthusiasts take from this? Miniature typically refers to something much smaller in size or scale to the original object it represents. To simplify, miniatures are smaller versions of full-sized objects. Models, on the other hand, refer to a representation of something, smaller or larger than the original, serving to demonstrate that object. They are intended to be exact replicas, manufactured or crafted at a predetermined and standardized ratio, such as with scale models where the scale is verified and consistent. Now, here’s the BUT… A miniature may be a model, but not always; a model may be a miniature, but not always. Hmmm…a topic for reflection.
RESEARCH
Websites: A Historical Timeline of Model Train Kits [ExactRail] ; WorldofMinatures.org ; The Wonder of Miniatures ; It’s small… but is it a Model or a Miniature? ; The 5 Most Popular Train Scales & Gauges Explained
Books & Articles: Collecting Old Miniatures (1916); For collectors of miniatures, small wins make a big impact [The Globe and Mail]; Palladio Minimus [Magazine Antiques]
BACKGROUND
In 18th century Britain, the market for miniature replicas of everyday objects was the exclusive domain of the wealthy elite. “Baby houses, as dollhouses were known in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, like the great houses they occupied, were both showpieces and containers. Children and adults alike filled the fashionable little architectural shells with objects that paralleled those they used in everyday life.” These everyday objects were crafted by silversmiths and ceramicists in a range of sizes, ‘from
objects intended for children to ones intended for dolls or dollhouses.’ By the mid-19th century, miniature model dollhouses filled with mini objects crafted from silver, clay, wood and fabric, could be found in the homes of the wealthy middle class as well as miniature portraits on walls and miniature tea sets in playrooms. Model or miniature? Or both?
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the introduction of salesmen’s samples, smaller versions of the original objects that peddlers or salesman could carry and show to potential buyers. Model or miniature? Or both?
Dioramas depicting a display of objects or a scenic tableau or miliary battle in 3-D model are often used in museum displays. A model railroad layout is a diorama containing track for operating trains. Modelers craft the layout in exquisite detail, creating scenes based on actual locations or imaginary places, from simple shelf or table designs to elaborate setups that can fill rooms, even buildings. And miniature model train sets run on the tracks laid out in model rail dioramas. ‘Less that half a century after the invention of the first steam-powered locomotive, model train sets were well on their way to becoming one of the world’s most popular hobbies.’ Is the model train layout – Model or miniature? Or both?
Blue Mountain Pottery Deer Minis, green drip glaze. 2.5” tall x 2.5” long
To clarify – if the layout is based on an actual location, I’d define it as a miniature model. If the layout was created from the modeler’s imagination, I’d call it a miniature diorama. Now, the model trains running on the layout – that’s a different story. Model trains are scale replicas manufactured to a relative size in proportion to the train it represents. Model? I’d say so based on the definition above.
LEFT: Secretary Cabinet Dollhouse Miniature (1:12 scale) - Artisan-crafted ‘Wee Antique 2002’. Doors & drawers open, replicating the function of a life-size cabinet. RIGHT: 1955 Ford Thunderbird 1/32 & 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang with Racing Stripe 1/32. National Motor Museum Mint authentic collectibles
VALUES
» SECRETARY CABINET DOLLHOUSE
MINIATURE (1:12 scale) ‘Wee Antique 2002’
» 7.5” (190.5mm) tall x 3.5” (88.9mm) long x 2.25” (57.15mm) deep
» This miniature writing desk or secretary was given to me for a birthday gift by AH many years ago. It is not for sale, but if it were, the value for this artisancrafted custom-made miniature would range from $375 - 550. NOTE: prices are based on similar artisan-crafted mini pieces and not on mass-produced pieces listed online.
» 1955 FORD THUNDERBIRD RED 1/32 & 1967 FORD SHELBY MUSTANG Blue with Racing Stripe 1/32
» National Motor Museum Mint authentic collectibles (1/32 scale) in original boxes
» These model cars are part of AH’s model collection. He gave me heck for opening the boxes to take the photos, saying I decreased the value by doing so. Yikes!
» Value for both $55 - $75
Even to the present, miniatures have exploded onto the world stage: ‘our yen to inhabit imagined worlds is stronger than ever. The make-believe yet tangible realm of miniatures…provide a sense of comfort, fantasy and control and – perhaps most importantly – they’re adorable.’ The world of miniatures has expanded far beyond the narrowly defined 17th and 18th century playthings of the elite. There is no limit to the world of miniatures. A miniatures hobbyist can collect, create, make almost anything – from reality to fantasy, from the historically accurate past and the material present to the imaginary future, from the simple to the exotic, from the expensive to the handmade. And a miniaturist can take that one step further, where makers demonstrate skills as true craftspeople, as miniature-makers. Consider how miniatures are made and appreciate what goes into the creation of the things we encounter in our everyday lives.
Discovering our Advertisers
Acquired Allsorts
13 Stockholm, SK (306) 745-8449
All Through the House
23 Okotoks, AB (780) 995-2399
Allan Pitchko Galleries
15 Edmonton, AB
And Everything Nice
21 Lacombe, AB (403) 782-3191
Anything and Everything
Vintage Boutique
13 St. Albert, AB (780) 569-2933
Asheford Institute of Antiques
9 asheford.com; 1-877-444-4508
Beck Antiques & Jewellery
2,3 Edmonton, AB (780) 474-7447
Bleu Moon Antiques
11 Sherwood Park, AB (780) 245-4883
Classic European Antiques
Edmonton, AB
15 (877) 482-4414, (780) 699-7839
Coulee Trading Post
32 Donalda, AB (403) 883-2760
Country Treasures
9 Rosebud, AB (403) 677-2577
Doll Club of Edmonton, AB
19 dollclubedmonton@gmail.com
Ella Grace Marketplace
Calgary, AB (587) 893-6069;
7 ellagraceestates.com
First Canadian Collectors Club
17 Calgary, AB firstcanadiancollectorsclub.com
Forgotten in Time Antique Mall
13 Wetaskiwin, AB (780) 603-3099
HolmeHus Antiques and The Farm with The Good Food
21 23 Red Deer, AB (403) 347-0516
Ibon Antiques
11 Edmonton, AB (780) 757-6777
Maven & Grace
11 Edmonton, AB (780) 760-0139
Medicine Hat Antiques & Collectibles and Gun & Hobby Show & Sale
9 Medicine Hat, AB (403) 548-1665
Molly's Cobwebs & Curiosities
9 Ponoka, AB (403) 704-9745
Old Creamery Antiques
21 Innisfail, AB (403) 865-1002
Old Strathcona Antique Mall
31 Edmonton, AB (780) 433-0398
One Man’s Treasure
32 Stony Plain, AB (780) 963-7776
Piapot Lions Gun & Hobby and Antiques & Collectables Show and Sale
17 Maple Creek, SK (306) 558-4802
Queen City Vintage Market
17 Regina, SK (306) 552-9528
The Quonset Collection
13 Prince Albert, SK (306) 981-2153
Rocky Mountain Antique Mall
19 Edmonton, AB (780) 485-0020
Rustic Rooster Mercantile
9 Olds, AB (403) 507-8870
South Bowl Antiques and Collectables Fair
17 Prince George, BC (250) 562-0860
Strathmore Pawn and Collectables
13 Strathmore, AB (403) 901-1100
Sugar Belle Antiques
32 Bonnyville, AB (780) 826-4111
T Q Antiques
32 Crossfield, AB (587) 777-6948
Where On Earth ...did you get that? Antique Mall
31 Airdrie, AB (403) 948-3669
Yesterday’s Treasure Market
15 Calmar, AB (780) 985-2522
Do you know of or own a local business that would be a good fit for Discovering ANTIQUES? We would love to hear from you. discoveringantiques18@gmail.com
