You'll Need a Magnifying Glass to Read Some of the World's Smallest Books at the V&A

"Queen Mary, consort to King George V between 1910 and 1936, was an enthusiast of all things miniature. Her dolls' house even contains scale versions of nearly 600 real books in its library, including works by literary giants like A.A. Milne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Commissioned from publishers around the U.K. and farther afield, many of these books are also held in the collections of the V&A."

"Many more miniature books comprise the museum's holdings, in addition to Queen Mary's collection. Little almanacs in their embellished folios were published annually and included notable dates, such as sunrises and sunset times, holidays, and other practical information. Many of the titles sport gilt edges, marbled papers, and even metal cases that double as lockets so that they could be worn."

"Designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, the house was built between 1921 and 1924 and contains items and furnishings conceived of by hundreds of the leading craftspeople and artisans of the day."

Queen Mary's Dolls' House, housed at Windsor Castle and designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1921 and 1924, stands as the world's largest and most famous dolls' house. Queen Mary, consort to King George V, commissioned hundreds of leading craftspeople to create miniature furnishings and items. The house's library contains nearly 600 scale versions of real books, including works by A.A. Milne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Many of these miniature books are held in the V&A's National Art Library collections. The museum's broader miniature book holdings include embellished almanacs with gilt edges, marbled papers, metal locket cases, dictionaries, and children's books spanning centuries.

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