Restored dolls houses showcased in summer display

The dolls houses will be on display at the Grove Museum until early September

A host of restored dolls houses have been showcased in a display at a Victorian-themed museum in the north of the Isle of Man.

Magical Worlds in Miniature will run until 4 September at the Manx National Heritage's Grove Museum in Ramsey.

Curator of art and social history Katie King said the temporary additions to the museum's house and gardens provided a "visual and aesthetic treat" for visitors.

"For some reason life in miniature captures audiences," she added.

The houses have been loaned to the museum by Jo Simpkiss, who restored them

'Instructional aid'

Ms King said dolls houses had originated in Europe in the early 16th Century but were initially "instructional aids" for girls in the upper class, to understand how to run a household, and were not seen as toys until the late Victorian era.

The items became more commonplace in the 1960s when manufacturing by toy companies increased, she said.

The houses on display belong to Jo Simpkiss, who buys damaged items and fixes them up, gaining her the nickname the Ramsey doll house doctor.

In 2022, she approached the museum to suggest an exhibition, culminating in a short display that August, which proved "very popular", Ms King said.

While the return of the dolls houses to the Grove Museum in 2024 was initially due to last for three weeks, interest in the display in its first week led to it being extended until the end of the summer holiday, she added.