A Christian Hacker butcher's shop

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Faith Eaton - 1927 - 2005 By Olivia Bristol Faith Eaton, who died in April, will be fondly remembered on both sides of the Atlantic and throughout Europe as one of the first major doll and dolls' house collectors who not only shared her home and collection with many enthusiasts, but wrote several articles and books about her interests. Born an only child and grandchild in 1927, Faith was from the first, surrounded by adults, who not only adored her but also created a cosseted and protected world in which she became the center of attention. At times, she found this difficult. On being given her first dolls' house from Hamleys (lot 168), she rushed out of the room in tears, unable to cope with the adults surrounding her waiting for her reaction. She lived all her life in the same large house in London, the two top floors of which were the prestigious Eaton and Wallis Tutorial School. Educated at home with Dorothy Tutin, she was not allowed to fraternize with the boys who dashed up and down the stairs to their lessons. At the outbreak of the London bombings during World War II, she carefully prepared her Tri-ang dolls' house for an air raid (lot 144), taping the window glass, providing an air raid warden with a gas mask - her father was in the Army Fire Service - and making an Anderson shelter from corrugated cardboard. In the 1950s, Faith was involved in a charity doll exhibition and repaired a wax doll that arrived broken. Thus began her developement of doll restoration, especially in wax, her doll making, her collecting both of dolls and dolls' houses, her lecturing on dolls and doll related subjects, her advice to television and film companies and her many books. She was a founder member of the Doll Club of Great Britain, the Dolls' House Society and the Dollmakers Circle. Faith was a welcoming hostess to all, eager to share and talk about her enthusiasms. She had a great love of Oriental dolls, particularly those from Japan and had a room devoted to them in her 'study center', as she referred to her home. Her collection covered every aspect of doll making in all materials, from many countries and from many periods. She was determined that it should reflect toys from their time as social history, so kept up to date with plastic as each new innovation came on the market. In her dolls' house collecting she tried to have a house from each decade showing how domestic life changed over the years from the early 19th century to the present day. She was involved in organising several exhibitions including the new arrangement at Windsor Castle showing France and Marianne, the two French dolls given to Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Margaret from the children of France in 1938. They came with an enormous trousseau made by all the great Paris fashion houses and every possible accessory and it was Faith's job to restore them and put them on view after the fire. Her writing was prolific, yet she was generous to other authors, allowing them to illustrate objects from her collection and giving help and encouragement. Having known Faith and her collection for over thirty years it is an honour tempered with sadness to be dispersing it now. My hope is that it will again bring joy, interest and knowledge to new collectors, many of whom, I feel sure, will have been friends of Faith or know her through her writing. Faith was the author of the following books and where her collection featured in them, we have referred beneath the descriptions in literature notes. 'Dolls in Colour', Blandford Press, 1975. 'Care & Repair of Antique & Modern Dolls', Batsford Book, 1985. 'Classic Dolls' Houses', George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd, 1990. 'The Ultimate Dolls' House Book, Dorling Kindersley, 1994. 'Dolls for the Princesses - The Story of France and Marianne, Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd. 2002. Faith's collection also appeared extensivly in 'The Ultimate Doll Book', by Caroline Goodfellow, Dorling Kindersley, 1993 THE FAITH EATON COLLECTION LOTS 1 TO 209 The order of the catalogue follows as close as possible Faith's display in her home, following each room from the door going clockwise around the rooms. The first section is from her main study room.

Details

A Christian Hacker butcher's shop
with transfer decorations, half gate, pediment, original floor and wallpapers with gilt key pattern border, shelves, hooks, joints, two choppers, cash desk and origianl composition salesman, 1890s --15¾in. (40cm.) wide x 13½in. (34.5cm.) high and 10in. (25.5cm.) deep, pencil number on base G/154/2 and the Christian Hacker stamp (paint flaking, some replacement stock and butcher's feet missing)

Literature

See The Ultimate Dolls' House Book, pages 68 and 69.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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