The Kitchen



The kitchen is a collection of pieces mostly by Barton and Dol-Toi, but also from other manufacturers like Barrett and DCMT.




The sink unit is an early (1940s?) Dol -Toi piece. The taps are wood, which may be "clunky", but haven't got broken off over the years like so many of the lead /plastic taps. 




This 1940s washing machine and mangle was made by Barrett & Sons. It's in good condition for its age, with not too much chipping and a nice blue marble effect original bowl & the original lid.

The mangle also still turns... 



On the back of the washing machine is the Barrett stamp - a capital B, with London, England around the outside. 


This 1940s die cast  gas cooker was made by Crescent, using mould tools made by DCMT.

The Die Cast Machine Tools Company (DCMT ~1939-1983), started out just before World War Two, manufacturing diecasting machines and equipment.

Before they started manufacturing toys in their own right under the "Lone Star " toy brand. ( "DCMT" was slightly cryptic and the full name was considered unhelpful for a toy brand) DCMT had made the mould tools for another toy company called Crescent Toys, who then made diecast toys like the 1940s cast iron gas cooker pictured above. The cooker doors are marked DCMT CRESCENT.  




The cooker has its original cream paint with inner removable shelf, grill pan and saucepan.


By the cooker stands a saucepan rack, complete with saucepans made by Dol-Toi and dating to the 1950s.


The table and chairs are both Dol-Toi and date back to the 1960s, likewise the cabinet.


Formica tops, especially  in pretty colours, were becoming very popular, almost certainly due to their easy-care wipe clean characteristics. The little accessories - pastry board, (with a little groove that perfectly  accommodates the rolling pin), mixing bowl, the plate with a cake and the cutlery canteen are also Dol-Toi, and date from the 1950s-60s.




The dresser is Dol-Toi, dating possibly  to the 1940s, and has doors that open outwards  (unlike the sliding doors of the later models) and a wooden back. The little tea set is made by Barton, and dates to the 1950s.





This 1950s fridge is made by Dol-Toi and has a "Frigidaire" label across the front, and a shelf inside. 

I've also used a few modern day accessories, like the "cottage loaf" , sitting  on the 1950s bread board, and also the bowl of fruit shown below. Sadly, not everything survives seventy years!






 








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bedroom #1

Image
  Bedroom #1 This collection is mostly early Barton, the dressing table and chest of drawers have the typical larger knobs of the earlier ranges, and the chest of drawers  has a rather attractive slightly bow front. The beds are made by Barton, although the bedding is new! ( But the bedding has utilised fabrics such as vintage lace for the trim of the pillowcases and sheets for a more authentic look). The wardrobe is almost certainly early DolToi. (It's made of solid wood and has the wooden back. Not everything got stamped with the company stamp, and labels have a tendency to fall off / be picked off over the years!) The clock dates to the late 1940s/ early 1950s and I think is probably Dol Toi, although there's no stamp or label (not surprising on something that tiny!). Interestingly, when I visited P and C,  I noticed C had the "real size" clock this model clock was obviously  based on, on her sideboard, which when I admired it, she said was a wedding present back ...
Read more

The Bathroom

Image
  The pink bathroom suite is made by Barton from plastic, and dates to the 1960s (possibly 1964?). I wanted a reasonably authentic bathroom that was in good condition, and still reasonably priced.  The set still has all its original taps,  the toilet still has its seat and lid intact, and the handle of the flush mechanism still works.  This was the era when coloured bathrooms were becoming popular.  The dolls house bathroom suites of the 1950s and earlier were often made from plaster (which often broke when dropped, so not many remain in good condition,) wood or metal. These are also hard to find in good condition  at a reasonable price. I suspect this could be because many small owners wanted to make things more "authentic" by filling everything with water!  The laundry bin is probably also made by Barton, around 1970. The pale pink towel rail is by Dol Toi, dating to around 1960, and is made from metal with wooden "feet". The little blue and pink to...
Read more