Author Description

This renowned doll house, conceived as a fairy castle, is one of the most beloved permanent displays at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. A gift to the museum from Colleen Moore, star of the silent-film era and the original "flapper, " the Fairy Castle has appealed to the imaginations of thousands of children since 1949. The minute and precious detail of this cherished residence of Moore's imaginary fairy prince and princess has been captured in color photography, giving the reader a close-up tour of the nine-foot-square and twelve-foot-high castle's rooms and their treasures. We enter the miniature palace of make-believe through the Magic Garden, with its working fountain and weeping willow tree that cries "real tears"; travel through the Library of diminutive books, with contributions from F. Scott Fitzgerald, Willa Cather, and others; move on to the Great Hall, with its tiny paintings, dainty chandeliers made of diamonds and emeralds, Cinderella's glass slippers, and more; and explore the castle's wonders from top to bottom.