The Art Institute of Chicago has a specialized gallery to display the 68 popular dioramas of the Thorne Miniature Rooms.
As a child I had a big wooden dollhouse that my father made for me, and I would have been especially fascinated and quite envious of these miniature rooms back then.
These rooms were created by Narcissa Niblack Thorne, a Chicago socialite who spent years traveling and collecting tiny furniture. During the Great Depression, she employed architects and master craftsmen (who were otherwise out of work) to build these historically accurate settings.
Most rooms were built between 1932 and 1940 and debuted at World Fairs.
The dioramas are incredibly detailed and built to a 1:12 scale (one inch equals one foot). The lighting is designed to mimic natural sunlight, and the "windows" look out onto painted backdrops to create a sense of depth, even though the box is only a couple of feet deep.
This room is titled "A17: Pennsylvania Kitchen, 1752." It represents a wealthy Pennsylvania German (Dutch) kitchen from the mid-18th century.
I love how accurate the shadows from the lighting are.
The room has a. great hearth with a fire that appears to be burning and Windsor style furniture, but my favorite feature is the Dutch Door on the right, which allowed the top half to open for light and air while keeping animals out.
I grew up in a home with a Dutch door and it was practical in so many ways, including talking to door to door salesmen without letting them in!
E6: English Library, Queen Anne Period, 1702–50: A sophisticated library with built-in bookshelves, a central fireplace, and large windows that let in simulated natural light
The lighting in the Thorne Miniature Rooms is one of their most impressive "magic tricks." It isn't just a bulb stuck in a box; it’s a sophisticated use of theatrical lighting and perspective to trick your brain into seeing a full-sized world.
Here is how the effect is achieved:
1. Indirect Lighting
The most important rule of the Thorne Rooms is that you never see the light source. The bulbs (traditionally incandescent, though some have been updated to cooler LEDs for preservation) are hidden in "light wells" or hidden compartments above or to the side of the windows and doors. This creates a soft, diffused glow rather than a harsh spotlight.
2. "External" Light Sources
To mimic natural sunlight, the light actually comes from outside the room.
Backlit Vistas: Behind many windows, there is a small painted backdrop or diorama of a garden, a street, or a distant horizon.
Glow through Openings: By lighting these backdrops from above, it makes it look like light is naturally "pouring" into the room through the windows, just like it would in a real house.3. Scale-Appropriate Shadows
The craftsmen carefully placed lights to ensure that the shadows cast by the furniture were consistent and logical. If the "sun" is coming from a window on the left, every shadow in the room must fall to the right. This consistency is a major reason why the rooms feel so "real" and solid.
4. Working Fixtures
In many of the more "modern" or formal rooms (unlike the rustic Pennsylvania kitchen), there are actually working electrical miniatures:
Chandeliers and Sconces: These use tiny, grain-of-wheat-sized bulbs that are individually wired.
Fireplace Glows: Some rooms feature fireplaces with tiny logs and a warm, flickering orange light hidden beneath them to simulate a burning hearth.
5. Color Temperature
Mrs. Thorne was obsessive about the "mood" of the light. She used specific bulbs or filters to ensure that a morning room felt bright and cool, while a cozy library or a candlelight scene felt warm and amber.
Room E13: English Rotunda and Library, Regency Period, 1810–20
There are 31 European Rooms (ranging from the 13th century to the 1930s) and 37 American Rooms (covering colonial through the 1930s).
English Bedroom (Tudor Period)
New York City Parlor (1850–1870)
English Reception Room (Jacobean Period, 1625–1655)
The rooms are all fascinating in detail and during December they are decorated for the holidays with Menorahs and Christmas trees.
