Welcome to the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s Dollhouse Video Tour! We are pleased to offer this unique on-line event. The idea was the brainchild of Emily Dattilo, our Director, and was enthusiastically embraced by the entire Board of Directors. Your interest in and support of this fundraiser will help the Society to fulfill its mission. We are so fortunate the Society continues to enjoy your enthusiastic support and generosity for all that we do. Thank you!
It has been an unprecedented year, and like many other organizations, the Society has been impacted by the COVID Pandemic. Most of our in-person programs and events have been cancelled throughout the year, including our Holiday Housewalk (our major yearly fundraiser) which usually occurs around this time.
However, despite the many changes in our world, back in January we were able to hold our first Five Dollar Five (a new series of programming that debuted this year) with Mary Arvidson of the DAR. Second Sundays in January, February, and March brought families to our campus to view our collection and engage in hands-on activities. We also introduced a series of free, self-guided neighborhood walking tours in the spring. In the summer and the fall we hosted two outdoor blacksmith demonstrations featuring Justin Stech and were able to have our Meyn Blacksmith Exhibit open as well. Kids’ Summer History Camp took on a new, virtual format, but we were pleased to offer two week-long sessions in June and July with themes revolving around the Columbian Exposition and the history of the Olympics.
Our staff, board and many volunteers work hard to make the Mount Prospect Historical Society a vibrant part of our community with history-themed programs, seminars and events for all ages. Our goal is to continue to offer programs in the coming year, most likely in new formats and unique ways. The safety and well-being of our participants, staff, and board remain our utmost priority.
And, of course, a huge thanks and debt of gratitude are extended to our staff (Emily Dattilo, Amanda Marcus, and Tom Groenwald) and the entire, hardworking Dollhouse Housewalk committee (Ed Johnson, Neal Bradley, Jean Murphy, Sharon Anderson, Dana Carr, Marilyn Genther, and Frank Corry) without whom this event would not be possible. Thank you to community member Julie Michalik for including her personal dollhouse as part of this event. Finally, we also thank the Dollhouse Housewalk’s sponsors for their generosity.
We hope you enjoy this fun tour of the dollhouses in our collection!
Be well, take care, and stay safe.
Best,
Deb Rittle
Board President
Mount Prospect Historical Society