Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle Project
Featuring Tarzan Jr.

Colleen Moore's position as one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood gave her the resources to produce a "Fairy Castle" of fantastic proportions. Beginning in 1926, Moore enlisted the help of many talented professionals to help her realize her vision. In 1937 she asked ERB for a few words from a Tarzan book and an autograph to add to her miniature Fairy Castle Collection at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. What was returned to her was an original fable featuring a princess and Tarzan, Jr. written by ERB and illustrated by ERB and John Coleman Burroughs. The unusual thing about this story is that it was printed, by hand, in a one-of-a-kind, one inch by one inch, miniature book.

Tarzan, Jr. is displayed in the Library of the Castle

The library is done in a sea motif. Over the fireplace stands Captain Kidd with his treasure behind him. The door to the right shows Robinson Crusoe and his man Friday. Above the other door is Gulliver, pulling the Lilliputian ships through the gates of the city. The furniture has a sea motif and is verdigris copper. Seahorses and seasnails hold the shell-like furniture. This furniture is made for fairy folk who like to read in different positions. That chair turned up in front is made for a little elf who likes to read with his feet in the air. 

The books are all real. There are over 100 and many hand written by some of our most prominent modern authors. These are first and only editions. On the reading stand is a dictionary. This was given to me by my father when I was only 5 years old, and this is what started my whole collection. There are many other printed books in the library, many of them over 150 years old.

THE EXHIBIT

THE ORIGIN OF THE FAIRY CASTLE
http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/fairycastle/history-of-the-fairy-castle/

Colleen Moore was always fascinated by dolls and doll houses. She owned several elaborate doll houses as a child, but later in life her father, Charles Morrison, suggested that she should pursue her passion for miniatures and doll houses by creating the "doll house" of her dreams. Her position as one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood gave her the resources to produce a "Fairy Castle" of fantastic proportions. Begining in 1928, Moore enlisted the help of many talented professionals to help her realize her vision. Horace Jackson was an architect and set designer who worked for First National Studios. Jackson created the floor plan and layout of the castle with this basic idea, 

"The architecture must have no sense of reality. We must invent a structure that is everybody's conception of an enchanted castle." Moore also enlisted the help of art director and interior designer Harold Grieve. Grieve had designed the interiors for Moore's real-life mansion, so he was a natural to create the interiors of her fantasy castle. By 1935 over 700 individuals had lent their expertise including surgical instrument lighting specialists, Beverly Hills jewelers and Chinese jade craftsmen. The price tag for this 8'7" x 8'2" x 7'7" foot palace containing over 2000 miniatures was nearly $500,000. 

Castle Tour