The Whaley House Photo Album
Living Room Facing Front of House
In this room we find the customary array of amusements suitable for Victorian family entertainment. Stereoscopic views of the American Civil War, English music boxes, Chinese finger cuffs, and a tasteful collection of wholesome gew-gaws, gim-cracks and wham-jams.
Note the Mary Todd Lincoln doll on the far right. Found only in the best homes, this half-scale replica of the most tragic American figure of the period would often be proudly displayed in the parlor, where it served as the perfect conversation starter for polite company: "She went mad, you know... poor thing spent all her time talking to spirits after her husband and son died... spent her final years hiding away in the dark..."