The Modern Dolls' House - 1930

This is one of a group of dolls' houses made by the company Lines Bros. of Merton, Surrey whose trademark was Tri-ang. Whilst manufacturers were keen to keep up-to-date with developments in architecture, the Tudor-style continued to be very popular.

Dolls' House, Lines Bros, about 1930. Museum no. Misc.65-1975 (click image for larger version)

Lines Bros. were keen to keep up with modern styles, the most innovative example of their products being the Modern house. It was described by the manufacturers as having an 'ultra-modern design' because of its flat roof and geometric design. By the 1930s, architecture was widely influenced by the work of architects such as Mies van der Rohe (the last director of the Bauhaus), Le Corbusier and Erno Goldfinger, whose concerns were with economical and flexible use of space and materials.

However, many people still preferred the cosy traditional look of the familiar thatched cottages, or Georgian-style or mock Tudor houses, and so traditional dolls' houses continued to sell for decades.