A holiday treasure in Chicago was itself a gift to the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Thorne Miniature Rooms comprise 68 models of European and American interiors that recreate in exact detail the rooms of our past, from the late 13th century through the 1930s. Built on a scale of one inch to one foot by master craftsmen, artists and textile experts, the rooms were commissioned by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago and gifted to the Art Institute in the early 1940s. They remain among the most popular museum attractions today.
The holidays only add to their appeal. Curators decorate several of the rooms for the season, and while not all 68 rooms are decked out, the number grows each year. Among the holiday rooms are a mid-century California Hallway featuring a menorah by renowned ceramicist Otto Natzler; the English Great Hall with a wassailing bowl and yule log typical of the Tudor period; the Virginia Entrance Hall draped in garland with mistletoe and a wreath; the New Orleans, New Mexico and Pennsylvania Dutch rooms featuring miniature foods and treats; and the French Provincial Bedroom with shoes by the fireplace as well as a crèche and a teeny-tiny jigsaw puzzle.
Perhaps the most Christmassy of the rooms is the Victorian English Drawing Room, where you’ll find the only Christmas tree in the holiday collection. The traditional tannenbaum was brought to England from Germany in 1840 when Prince Albert married Queen Victoria. An engraving made a few years later pictured the royal family standing next to a fir tree decorated with toys and candles, and of course then everyone wanted one. Not only did the engraving become an iconic image of Christmas, but the tree-trimming tradition was born.
Getting the holiday rooms ready for their seasonal coming out party is a year-round process. In addition to researching and creating the historically accurate details, preparations include painting seasonal backdrops you can glimpse behind the windows, cleaning glass chandeliers, carpets and tabletops, and replacing broken or worn elements such as candlesticks and finials on furniture.
If you’d like to press your nose against the glass and see this holiday treasure for yourself, there’s still plenty of time. The Holiday Thorne Rooms are on view at the Art Institute of Chicago until Jan. 7.