Vigo County Historical Society

Miniature bunnies seasonal part of Condit collection

Today--while many children are looking in their baskets to see what the Easter bunny left--seems like a good time to write abut two bunnies who are part of a group of miniatures at the museum.

The collection of miniatures belonged to Helen Condit, a prominent resident of Terre Haute who donated many heirlooms to the Vigo County Historical Society before her death in 1961. Her proper now is the home of the president of Indiana State University.

The larger of the two rabbits is 5 inches in height, made from a poured-plaster mold. It is in natural form and with only bits of black paint highlighting certain features, such as eyes, nose and toes. Small orange dots form a collar around its neck and outline its mouth and inside its ears.

The words, "Helen, 1876," are handwritten inside the hollow mold. The rabbit is sitting very straight and appears to be very prim and proper, as if it would rather watch than be involved in the Easter fun.

If "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" had been written 100 years ago, it would perfectly describe the smaller, ceramic bunny. This one is 3 inches tall and only the face is unglazed. It is colorful, wearing a blue jacket and yellow pants. This little rabbit just looks as if he is ready to "hop down the bunny trail" with "baskets full of Easter joy" in his green and orange wheelbarrow.

Miniature objects actually first were made for the dead, rather than the living. They played an important part in preparing for the afterlife of the Egyptians and the Chinese hundreds of years ago. Scaled-down objects, similar to the ones which surrounded them in real life, were buried in their tombs.

Miniatures have been fashioned in gold, silver, jade, ivory, porcelain, glass and almost every material imaginable. Scaled-down models of people, animals, flowers, vases and furniture grace the shelves in museums and private homes.

The Nuremberg toy industry in Germany was outstanding in its craftsmanship of miniature-furnished rooms and other toys. Court jewelers of France and Russia spent hours fashioning precious jewels and metals into miniatures for the cabinets of noblemen and ladies of the courts.

It is almost impossible to realize how may avenues of interest are open to those who have made collecting miniatures their hobby. While many collections contain objects of great market value, often it is the sentimental value connected with the object that gives it worth to the individual.

Condit’s collection runs the gamut from whimsical to serious. The collection is displayed in a special case in the North Room on the first floor of the museum.