The object I chose is a clown shaped cupcake topper manufactured by Grandmother Stover’s, a midcentury dollhouse miniatures company. It would have been sold in a multipack, packaged in clear plastic bags and stapled shut with cardboard. The object is white plastic with printed red, green, and black details. It is about 3 ½ inches tall. A round head sits on top of a thin stem that ends in a sharp point. There is a small crack where the head meets the stem. The print job is uneven and distorted, relaying the mass-produced nature of the object. The clown dons a triangular, striped, red cap with a green tip. Its expression is one of mischief. Curved black eyes, topped with raised eyebrows, glance to the side. Red circles define the cheeks. The typical round clown nose is the only three-dimensional component of the face, and has a red circle printed on it. Four curved lines make up a smiling mouth. 

From 1943 to 1983, Grandmother Stover’s was one of the most prominent suppliers of dollhouse furniture and miniatures in the United States. The company, based in Columbus, Ohio, was founded by John Stover in an effort to provide dollhouse accessories for his children in a time when European imports in this market were limited. John, a successful businessman who owned an advertising business, was living in Upper Arlington with his wife Elizabeth and their three daughters when he came up with the idea to start a dollhouse company. In 1941, John purchased a dollhouse and a complete set of furnishings as a gift for his daughters. He would discover that most of the miniatures were handcrafted by German artisans working out of their homes. This inspired him to create the same sort of operation in central Ohio.  

John named his fledgling company after his mother, Mrs. Anna Stover. She was an essential part of the operation and would help make the very first sample products. By 1970, Grandmother Stover’s, Inc. employed 15 full-time and 25 part-time employees. The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette published an article in December 1944 titled “New Idea in Christmas Toys Named for Lancaster Woman,” which stated, “this year the toys are being shipped to large stores from NYC to Los Angeles. The demand for them is much greater than the supply.” Grandmother Stover’s was turning out miniature kitchen supplies, newspapers, decks of cards, platters of food, gilded mirrors, bedspreads, bars of soap, and any other household item, appliance, or furnishing one could possibly imagine. The company also sold party favors, cake toppers, and other small miscellaneous toys as part of their Trimmin’ Trinkets line.  

Today, Grandmother Stover’s miniatures are renowned in hobbyist and collector circles. While the company no longer manufactures miniatures, their name brand adhesive glue can be purchased from online hobby and craft stores. John’s personal collection of his favorite one-of-a-kind miniatures was donated by his family to the Georgian Museum in Lancaster in 2006.  

Works Cited 

Harvey, Joyce. “Remember When: Jack Stover Picked ‘The Purple Pepper.’” Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 25 Jan. 2021, http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/2021/01/25/remember-when-jack-stover-picked-the-purple-pepper/6659362002/.