kemerer: Dollhouses go on display

Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites at the Kemerer Museum, 427 N. New St., Bethlehem, will display one of the largest dollhouse collections in the nation Jan. 17 to June 26.

The Elizabeth Johnston Prime Dollhouse Collection boasts 44 antique buildings, including dollhouses, stores, stables, mansions, verandas and more than 6,000 tiny pieces of dolls, furniture, paintings, animals, rugs, dishes, chandeliers and more, which Elizabeth Johnston Prime donated in 2007.

Prime’s family roots trace back to the Moravian founders of Bethlehem in the mid-18th century as well as the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, where her grandfather served as a senior vice president and later as mayor of the city.

The collection will showcase architecture, clothing and furniture styles that span across 100 years, from the 1830s to the 1930s, as well as creations from such notable dollhouse designers as Moritz Gottschalk and Christian Hacker.

This collection will be on display 2 p.m. every third Sunday, starting Jan. 17. Dates are Jan. 17, Feb. 21, March 20, April 17, May 15 and June 19.

A special tour will be held Feb. 12, where guests will not only see the inside of the Collection Resource Center but have an exclusive meet with the curator of the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, Lindsey Jancay.

There is an admission fee, and visitors must RSVP with Jancay.

For more information or questions regarding the tour, contact Jancay at ljancay@historicbethlehem.org or call 610-868-6868, ext. 63.