ٳ’s is offering a peek behind the miniature curtains of one of the country’s largest antique dollhouse collections this summer.
The 60-minute guided tour of the Elizabeth Johnston Prime Dollhouse Collection will bring guests into the museum’s climate-controlled vault, which features dollhouses and accessories originating from 1830 to 1930.
“It’s almost like you step back in time into the 19th and early 20th century to see this unique piece or slice of history that you don’t often have an opportunity to look at and learn about,” said Mark Demko, spokesperson for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, of which the Kemerer Museum is a part.
He added that the last time this tour was offered to the public was prior to 2020.
Eleven behind-the-scenes tours, each with a capacity of eight people, are scheduled for this summer. The limited access is due to the light, temperature and humidity conditions necessary to preserve the pieces, according to Demko.
The dollhouses once belonged to Prime, the granddaughter of ٳ’s first mayor, Archibald B. Johnston. She donated her collection to the museum — one of only 15 decorative arts museums in the United States — following her death in 2006.
Demko said Prime’s ties to the area aligned with Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites’ focus on “preserving, interpreting and presenting the 300 years of history here.”
“We want it to be this great, immersive and educational experience where they can learn about this unique part of American history, and have a chance to see some incredible works of art,” he added.
Prime curated 44 structures, including houses, mansions, staples and businesses. While some pieces originated from large retailers such as FAO Schwarz, others were handcrafted and less circulated. The vault features creations by famed German dollhouse designers Moritz Gottschalk and Christian Hacker.
“Some pieces that are similar to pieces that are in this collection have sold well into the thousands,” said Demko. “So it is a priceless collection, and definitely different than the dollhouses of today and the past few decades.”
The vintage structures are decorated with more than 6,000 miniature items.
“Not only did she collect these dollhouses, she wanted to make sure that everything in the different homes, down to the chinaware and in the table setting stuff, were period appropriate,” Demko said of Prime.
Among the rarest in the bunch is an Empire American mahogany cabinet constructed in 1830 that opens to reveal four miniature rooms. The house was constructed by a carpenter in Warren County, and maintains all its original furnishings, according to the museum’s collectors notes.
“Rumor has it that, actually somehow along the way, [it] ended up floating down the Allegheny River,” Demko said of the cabinet house. “But it is here in our collection.”
Kelly Palenchar, the director of social media at Social T Marketing & PR, said that the little details in a 1895 English townhouse caught her eye when she visited the vault in April to photograph it for the museum’s social platforms. She noted that it was “cool to see a blend of historical eras and styles across the entire collection.”
Getting a behind-the-scenes look at the collection is popular: This summer’s original six dates sold out in two weeks, leading the museum to add additional tours, according to Demko.
If you miss out on securing tickets for the tour, select pieces from the collection are displayed in the Kemerer Museum throughout the year, according to the museum’s website.
“They’ll be able to see some of the dollhouses, but they don’t get this unique opportunity to go inside between the rows and learn about all the different specific pieces that are in the collection,” Demko said
For Demko, getting up close to the Elizabeth Johnston Prime Dollhouse Collection always comes with new discoveries.
“These are fascinating works of art, and when you look at them, you really get to see the detail behind some of these pieces,” he said. “In the craftsmanship and the detail that went into all the work.”
Tickets for the Behind the Scenes Dollhouse Tour and museum admission can be purchased at historicbethlehem.org. The Kemerer Museum is open Friday through Sunday, with custom tours available Monday through Thursday.
Guided tour dates
Tickets are $30, or $25 for Historic Bethlehem members
- 1:15 p.m. July 5, 26, Aug. 16, 30
- noon, July 12, Aug. 23
