Going shopping
Sadie Brown returns to the Newby Hall dolls house collection with Jane Fiddick and Caroline Hamilton.
Sadie Brown returns to the Newby Hall dolls house collection with Jane Fiddick and Caroline Hamilton.
All sewn up
Jane Fiddick and Caroline Hamilton are undoubtedly two of the most inspirational miniaturists I have ever had the pleasure of talking to. Their extensive body of work, on permanent display at Newby Hall in North Yorkshire since summer 2015, is a staggering achievement. With almost seventy dolls houses in the collection, there is always something new to discover.
Mimi and Musetta, which many might recognise as having been named after the two young ladies from Puccini’s 19th century opera, La bohème, is a beautiful and expansive haberdashery, hat shop and
dressmakers with much to explore within its two storeys. Jane clearly recalls the late night prior to the shop being first exhibited at the London Dolls House Festival, fond memories for a dedicated miniaturist. The structure itself is a Sid Cooke design and his acclaimed miniature properties proved to be something of a turning point for both Jane and Caroline.
“I think it is fair to say that our collections of shops began with the appearance of
Sid Cooke and in particular his York Street corner shop, with which I instantly fell in love. It became Thos. Appleton, purveyor of fine foods,” recalls Jane. “Sid went on to produce such attractive buildings that they were difficult to resist, particularly the shops. These give an opportunity to concentrate on an area of activity other than the standard home and allow for collections, say, of china, baked goods, fish, vegetables, copperware, toys and... hats.” It is this collection of fine millinery which finds itself proudly displayed in brightly illuminated cabinets on the ground floor of Mimi and Musetta. From the simple straw boater to those creations adorned with lavish feathers and florals. “Caroline and I found it very difficult to resist the succession of the delightfully proportioned buildings of all kinds produced by Sid and I think that it’s fair to say that we bought without knowing at the time what each one was going to be,” concludes Jane. “I doubt whether Caroline had set out wanting a bakery! And sometimes you have to live with an empty house before deciding. Of course, the windows would dictate whether a house would be residential or commercial. Sometimes, even, we persuaded Sid to add another storey to his charming single storey buildings, which were inevitably shops, but could have residential premises above. But Mimi and Musetta could only be a shop. Downstairs, and the upstairs room offered the opportunity to display haberdashery, knitting and especially, displays of sewing threads, etc.”
No pun intended, the haberdashery department is literally bursting at the seams with everything to inspire both the novice and experienced seamstress. It is also here where you will find some of Jane’s own most intriguing work. There are reams of fabric, wool in almost every colour of the rainbow, and the handcrafted counter alone is filled with many different bits and pieces,
including buttons and ribbons. But it is the miniscule and individually handmade spools of thread displayed on the counter top which inspire beyond measure and show nothing is impossible for the determined artisan. As always though, Jane is keen to discuss the other artisans whose work is displayed within the shop walls. I was especially excited to find out more about the pastel pink dress on the dressmakers’ mannequin and the seamstresses’ current project. The tiny tape measure draped around the mannequin’s shoulders is the kind of finishing touch that is the mark of an exceptionally well-designed piece. “The case on the floor was made by the very talented Australian maker Alan Waters, who also made the wool winder on the counter. The knitter of display goods was June Stowe. I’m afraid that the dressmaker’s work was an impulse buy and I can’t remember by whom, except that it was
American. If it were European, the tape measure you mention would probably be in centimetres rather than inches.”
A piece of cake
Caroline’s late Victorian bakery is also a two storey Sid Cooke design. However, the main structure of Bluebell Bakery has been given that Hamilton twist, with an imaginative false wall allowing the inclusion of not only a hidden space lying behind the beaded curtain, but also the wonderful built in bread oven at the heart of the bakery. The latter includes such a depth of realism that Caroline even went so far as to install a flickering light. “Several of my small Sid Cooke houses do not even hint at stairs but it really isn't right to expect the inhabitants to fly up and down as in the toy shop or the antiques shop.” Caroline tells me, only adding to the theory that hidden corners are always some of the most exciting aspects of any project.
“In the bakery I liked the idea of a hot oven so that smoke-stained false wall depth also gave
me the chance to hint at stairs behind a bead curtain. That is why there is a door on the wall upstairs, but carefully opening so that you can't see that there aren't really any stairs there.”
The addition of the false wall also gave Caroline leave to add an extra feature in the shape of a small illuminated alcove, the ideal place to display the bakery’s star attraction. “I realised I could have a niche for the wedding cake made with slices of different sized dowels propped up on bits of tooth-pick and wrapped in scraps of silver doily. The tiny bride and groom on top are only my sketch on a tiny piece of card, but there is a wee card saying 'Wedding cakes to order'.” It is the importance of including these finely-honed details which are key to all Caroline and Jane’s designs. Even the details you don’t necessarily know are there. The little girl buying a strawberry jam tart is actually holding a tiny coin in her hand as she reaches up to pay the shop assistant. The baker, seen removing a fresh batch of loaves from the oven, was dressed by Caroline herself, but just like Mimi and Musetta, Bluebell Bakery showcases work by many exceptional artisans, including dolls by both Jill Nix and Judith Cipkin. There’s also a delightful holly wood rolling pin by the craftsman, David Edwards.
Opening new doors
Together, Caroline and Jane have built a tremendous, world renowned legacy on the strongest of miniature foundations. There is, though, more to come and I was overjoyed to discover that Jane has not one, not two, but three additional houses awaiting completion. All of which will go on to become an integral part of the Newby Hall dolls house exhibition going forward. I was even more thrilled when Jane was happy to share some exclusive details ahead of what will be an eagerly anticipated reveal. “One is a version of Sid’s corner shop with different windows and belongs to a photographer,’ says Jane, hinting at the layout, which will see the ground floor display a range of optical equipment and toys created by Jim Watt, whilst the second floor will become the all-important studio space. “Another is to be an ironmonger, with watchmaker living over. The last and biggest is a bakery, with sales of bread and cakes on the ground floor, banqueting hall on first floor and kitchen and cool store, for butter, lard and dried fruits, at the top.” Jane, we can’t wait!
INFO
For further information visit: www.newbyhall.com
Photography by Bay Hippisley.
With many thanks to Jane and Caroline.