Dollhouse Artisans – Meet Mary Payne, Miniaturist

The picture of LoBue's Barber Shop on my newsfeed caught my eye. The caption “A recreation of Mary's grand father's barber shop in Weehawken, NJ.” really got me hooked, because preserving memories in in t form of a room box has always been the key to holding my interest in miniatures all these years.

I contacted Mary Payne and got this reply.


“I don’t have much of a backstory for it.  I never saw that barbershop.  The outside was reproduced from a couple of old family pictures.  We have no family members left that remember the inside so I used elements from several  pictures of old barbershops I found online. If you want to see more of my work go to [or website]. All my work is photographed and posted by my husband.  Most of the stores are memorials [of] family and friends who are gone.”


And what a lot of great work it is. Besides the wonderful barber shop room box, check out the rest of Mary's basement.

I identify with Mary in that memories, and the emotions that flow from them, are the important part of my being a miniature enthusiast. If I can't make everything myself, or don't have the time to learn to be  a renaissance artisan, that's all right. I'll buy the wares of other skilled specialists in the dollhouse miniature universe.

Other enthusiasts have the desire to create museum quality works of art, making all the items themselves. God bless them! I'm glad they have the drive and perseverance to make these wonderful creations. It shows me what can be accomplished and to show the heights craftsmanship it's possible to reach.
There is so much latitude in participating in the wonderful hobby … or art form – pick your spot on the spectrum. And knowing that we can change that niche whenever we want. It just time and effort … and some skills.

Here's a link to Mary's section of the family webpage: http://www.inpayne.com/dollhouse/dollhousefrontpage.html