The 'Dolly Varden' doll's house was made by Meccano Ltd, manufacturer of the construction kits 'Meccano' and of Hornby trains. It was produced from mid-1936 until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939.
Made of reinforced leatherboard, the house is collapsible. It is accompanied by a board which provides the setting with a driveway and flower-beds. The house is designed to represent a Tudor half-timbered dwelling: the lower level is brickwork, with some ivy or other creeper, and the upper is half-timbered. The roof is tiled, and the windows are mullioned.
Inside the four rooms are dining room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, with the interior wall decorations and floor coverings printed on the board. The rear of the house is open to view for the child to play.
The house was designed to use Dinky Toys dolls' house furniture. Dolly Varden Doll's House was originally advertised in Meccano magazine July 1936. A reproduction of this advertisement can be seen in Dinky toys & modelled miniatures, 1931-1979.
