Bruce Museum
Greenwich, CT
(203) 869-0376
Small Scales II: Greenwich Miniaturists
November 27, l999 through January 17, 2000
The Bruce Museum of Arts and Science
presents Small Scales II: Greenwich Miniaturists on display November
27, 1999 through January 17, 2000. This year's exhibition features approximately
35 miniature rooms, vignettes and houses created by the Greenwich Miniaturists,
a group of area women dedicated to the art and craft of making small scale
houses and rooms. On view are miniature versions of a baby's nursery, a
greenhouse decorated for Christmas, a tiny circus, a townhouse, a Georgian
doll house furnished with upstairs and downstairs staff, an Egyptian museum
gallery, a teenage girl's bedroom, Noah's ark, an Indian Rajah's party,
and an original miniature room made by Narcissa Thorne.
The
Greenwich Miniaturists began their club over 20 years ago. A group of area
women interested in learning how to make miniatures formed an association,
meeting once a month in members' homes to exchange ideas, teach each other
techniques, and work on projects together. Since their founding, the Greenwich
Miniaturists have exhibited regularly at the Bruce Museum, often attracting
as many as 20,000 visitors to their shows. Their most recent Small Scales
exhibition at the Bruce took place in 1996. The Greenwich Miniaturists now
includes members from throughout Connecticut and New York's Westchester
County. Members range in age from 40 to 92. (left: A Southern
Parlor, designed by Brooke Tucker and executed by Barbara Miller, one
inch to one foot scale)
"We view the construction of our rooms and scenes
as historical representations of an era, said Stubby Crowe, President of
the Greenwich Miniaturists. "Rooms can combine a variety of styles
and periods, but each piece must be an accurate representation of the original.
Most miniaturists assemble their vignettes and doll houses
through a combination of making and purchasing furniture and accessories
for their small scenes. The majority of houses and rooms are made in a one-inch
scale, in which one inch equals one foot, although some miniaturists use
half-inch and quarter-inch scales.
Small scale replicas are not new; their recorded history
dates back to ancient Egypt. They began as children's learning tools, teaching
social graces and the decorative arts through play. In 17th century Europe,
the Princess Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Gotha (1666-1751) spent many years
and considerable sums of money having artisans build a miniature Bavarian
town peopled with figures depicting its court life. The diorama remains
in Amstadt as a documentation of its time.
The best known miniaturist, and one who changed the direction
of this hobby, was Narcissa Thorne. 
In the 1930s it was fashionable for museums to display
full-scale period rooms, but the cost in money and space was becoming prohibitive.
By this time, Mrs. Thorne had collected an enormous quantity of miniature
antique furniture and accessories. She commissioned a series of miniature
rooms for the Art Institute of Chicago - which are now part of the Institute's
permanent collection - that accurately portray 29 periods of European architecture
and interior design. In so doing, she transformed small scale replicas into
an art form. Small Scales II: Greenwich Miniaturists includes the
"Old English Bookshop," an original miniature made by Narcissa
Thorne in the latter part of her career. (right: The Elegant Bath,
designed by Brooke Tucker and executed by Peggy Fisher, one inch to one
foot scale)
"Ail age groups can appreciate these creations,"
said Renee Hack, a founding member of the Greenwich Miniaturists and organizer
of the exhibition. "They appeal to the public as finely detailed, technical
marvels as well as historic preservation pieces."
The exhibition is underwritten by Ernst & Young, with
additional support from Elizabeth Read Weber, ASID.
Read more about the Bruce
Museum in Resource Library Magazine.
rev. 11/22/10
Search Resource
Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art.
Copyright 2010 Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation. All rights
reserved.
The
Greenwich Miniaturists began their club over 20 years ago. A group of area
women interested in learning how to make miniatures formed an association,
meeting once a month in members' homes to exchange ideas, teach each other
techniques, and work on projects together. Since their founding, the Greenwich
Miniaturists have exhibited regularly at the Bruce Museum, often attracting
as many as 20,000 visitors to their shows. Their most recent Small Scales
exhibition at the Bruce took place in 1996. The Greenwich Miniaturists now
includes members from throughout Connecticut and New York's Westchester
County. Members range in age from 40 to 92. (left: A Southern
Parlor, designed by Brooke Tucker and executed by Barbara Miller, one
inch to one foot scale)