An historical overview of dolls' house furniture and furnishings from the sixteenth century to the present day, set against the social and economic conditions of the period in which they were made. Rapidly changing technology combined with new materials such as plastics has resulted in the production of a large range of items for the dolls' house in the twentieth century, catering for the widely varying needs of collectors. About the author Halina Pasierbska is a curator at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, London.