There’s a cluster of ideas I’ve got floating around in my head and bumping into each other.
One of the criteria for selection would be that I don’t want to start a large block build; I’m look for something that will fit on top of a four foot high book shelf and be no more than twelve inches deep – ‘Shelf Top Minis‘ in fact.
Semi-random choice
In a conversation recently I was reminded of the Georgette Heyer novels which we used to read years ago. Along with other genres Ms Heyer is well known for her historical (mostly Georgian 1714 – 1830) romances and I’ve got mini-ing items squirreled away for that sort of period which I keep putting to one side. The put off is mainly because Georgian architecture is about straight, square and meticulous and I will certainly fail with all of those in anything I build that is solidly set within that style. I’ve once before tried to side-step the problem by planning to build an entertainment kiosk based on those that were at Ranelagh or Vauxhall, but I never started out on that building journey.
I have side-stepped the problem once with Clemcold Cottage though I didn’t use many specific period features in it other than the embroidered coat. It is really about time to buckle down to something that gives a bigger nod towards the Georgian period one way or another, so let’s look for a further compromise.
There is a goodly spread of time and fashion; from the end of the Queen Anne period through the sack-back and ballooning elbow- hooped and onwards. The most often used period in the novels is towards the end of this time spread, Regency (1811-20) and just before .
Possibilities of a work-around
Many of GH’s books have crucial scenes in inns, where there is a showdown between heroine and hero, and an inn sounds a good idea as it could be any age of building originally and have the added features ancient or contemporary. There is a wide variety of coaching inns in the UK; some even have bits of Roman stonework added. I’ve seen pillars, heads from small statues and various carvings incorporated into their structure. (For more info on old inns see first link at bottom of page)
It offers a touch of the Jane Austen and Beau Brummel and the Prince Regent himself. If I sneakily have a number of figures suitably dressed for the time, including at least one in military uniform, I might be able to lean away from the full architectural adventure of symmetry and still make the scenes look more or less of the right period.
Stick a pin in it and choose
We live close to towns that have many Georgian buildings.. In Berwick there are some that have what I think are called Venetian windows (Palladian windows) which always catch the eye.
This book by Brian Long features one particular Berwick Georgian building built as a dolls house
There are many illustrations including drawings to scale along with detailed history of various architectural elements of the Georgian period and instructions on making many of the objects in the dolls house. There is a photo of the real house in the book but if you wish to check out the click on this link that will take you to Google Street View
There are so many Georgian buildings in Berwick and Tweedmouth it is hard to pick what to possibly use for ideas.
Here’s a couple of them chosen particluarly for their windows of the Venetian/Palladian style which you can see in the top centre of the dolls house frontage:
- The Kings Arms Hotel
- Former home of painter Thomas Sword Good
It would be nice if this imaginary inn (that might be in the planning!) was originally built around the early seventeenth century but had had updates added from time to time, including one of these Venetian windows but I very much doubt that I could make one. Well, as it’s got to be no more than a foot deep it’s going to have to be the front only and one room deep.
Would such a window fit on a restricted size new build. Not sure if it would work. Hmmm – need to dig everything out that’s relevant and see what’s lying around first as determined to use the bits and pieces that are just sitting there. This time.
Further links for the interested:
- The Old Inns of Old England, Volume I (of 2), by Charles G. Harper
- Panniers – elbow hoop
- Empire style fashion
- More info re Dandies
theinfill 