December 21 was a date for premieres. I have a few first-time events, and some books that might help illustrate stories.
December 21st, 1878 was the world premiere of Hebruk Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ibsen was very influential to twentieth century theater. His play “A Doll’s House” was an extremely popular play, laying out a feminist plot. The play was the most produced play around the world, in the year 2006.
A little over twenty years later, King Edward VII (1901) became King of England. I have the book “A Three-Dimensional Edwardian Doll House” by Brian and Lizzie Sanders, 1995. This pop-up book spins open and ties in the back. It actually becomes a two-story, eight room doll house.
I also have the book “Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle”.” printed by Museum of Science and Industry, 1964. This book is about a doll house on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It was a gift from a silent-film star Colleen Moore, in 1949.
This is not just any doll house. It was built to house Moore’s detailed miniatures collection. An architect designed the house, to look like a fairy tale book. The palace is nine feet square, and twelve feet tall. The scale is one inch to one foot. It has electric and water plumbing, and weighs about one ton. Real gold, marble, tiles, mosaics make the doll house. Real tapestries and painting hang on the walls. Real miniature books are in the library. The chapel has stained glass and a sliver of the real cross in the alter, given by the Pope. There are over 1,500 accessories, including 1/4 inch blown-glass Cinderella slippers, and a tiny fairy ring with the smallest fully-cut diamond in the world.
Almost 100 artists took seven years to complete this doll house. It cost almost $500,000 to make, in the late 1920’s and early 30’s, or about $7,000,000 today. This book does not do justice to the actual doll house in Chicago. It is worth seeing!
Little boys may not be interested in doll houses. I have the book, “The Crabtree Collection of Miniature Ships” published by The Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia, published in 1969, signed by the author.
Newport News is just north of Norfolk, Virginia. I have visited the museum there. August Crabtree built 14 ships, displaying the history of boats and ships. This is an ultimate lesson on types of ships through the ages. He worked on this collection from 1925 to 1949. The exhibit is housed in the Mariners Museum in Newport News.
The rigging alone, sails, ropes, pulleys are all workable and proper to the ships that they are on. The carving on each ship is impeccable, as is every little person manning the ships. The scale is 1:48. If there was any miniature displays that would be as spellbinding as the Colleen Moore Fairy Castle, it would be this exhibit. Each ship is housed in plexiglass, with special magnifying glasses built in, so one can really see the details. I spent a long time studying each ship for new details. This is absolutely a must see exhibit.
On December 21st, 1913, the first crossword puzzle premiered in the New York World newspaper. It was invented by Arthur Wynne. He called it “Word Cross”. Crossword puzzles became one of many ways to boost circulation and advertising. By the 1940’s and 50’s, there were various games and prizes involved.
I have the book “How to Win Contest Prizes” by Lee Keith, published in 1954.
It explains ways to be more likely to win prizes, anywhere from Pillsbury cook-offs, to jingles, song contests, all sorts of prizes one would see on TV, radio, newspapers, and local businesses. There was a detailed chapter on crossword puzzles, with unusual ways that general practitioners are tricked.
On December 21st, 1937, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles. I have the book “The Art of Walt Disney” by Christopher Finch, published in 1988 with a few notes.
This was Walt Disney’s first full length animated movie. It was an instant success. He won an Honorary Academy Award for this movie. There was one full size award and seven miniature ones.
I also have an interesting pop-up book, “Snow White” published in England, 1961.
In the story, Snow White is put in a glass coffin, and she lay there for ten years, before her prince woke her with a kiss. The pop-up in this book has the coffin covered with cellophane to mimic glass.
Remember…world premieres. And you saw it all here first.
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 