Animals in our Houses

By the mid-19th century, rooms in the home were often set aside specially for children, not just for sleeping but also learning and play.

Furnishings designed for these rooms helped to create the right atmosphere of beauty, instruction or fun. One of the most common decorative and instructional themes involved animals or parades of animals that appeared on almost every conceivable furnishing: wallpapers, murals, fabrics, floor coverings. Take a journey through the children’s nursery with items from our Caroline Simpson Collection and watch the parade over time.