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Info Needed for Victorian Times and Ron Clanton


averyfinewoman

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Hello....so much great info on here!  I just purchased a very large Emporium store and it is Marked "Victorian Times" and build by Ron Clanton.

I would like to know more about this builder, it is exquisite.  I only have a photo after it was cleaned out, but waay cool!  If anyone knows this man or info on him

would be greatly appreciated!  There is also a really Beautiful Elliot Bay House for sale at this estate also signed by him as well.

Thanks in advance for any info!

Suzi

5569ef4a-75b1-48f9-86f1-3d467a6da041.jpg

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I looked him up on the Mini Mag Index (http://www.minimagindex.com/) and there's one hit, in Nutshell News August 1988. The article is a Grandma's Back Porch project written by one of the NSN editors. Here's what it says about Ron Clanton at the end:

Bonnie Bennett's instructions are based on notes provided by Ron Clanton, who designed this nostalgic room and teaches it as a workshop project to customers in his shop, Mini City. Ron is the owner of Miniatures West/Victorian Times, a business specializing in fine dollhouses. Questions or inquiries about this project should be sent to Ron Clanton, Miniatures West/Victorian Times, 2888 So. Highland Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84106 (phone 801-486-0328).

I'm sure the address and phone number are no longer valid, but thought you might be interested since you're also in Salt Lake City. Maybe that'll help you find out more about the company.

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Emily, I need to ask, do you know if there's a difference between Victorian Times in Utah and Victorian Times Miniatures? I know Victorian Times Miniatures was located in Oregon for a number of years and it seems to me they were once in Utah as well. Did Victorian Times just move out to Oregon and add to their name? I'm wondering if Ron Clanton was a designer like Ray Uhr was. The Elliott Bay I had was signed by Clell Boyce. So....I'm confuzzled.

Suzi, if the stores are one and the same, then you might have something kind of rare. I've never seen anything but Victorian houses marketed by Victorian Times Miniatures.

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I don't know, but some of the posts in the thread Carrie linked to mentioned the company being sold from one person to another. Since the well-known Victorian Times houses are based on houses in the Portland area, my guess is that Clell Boyce was the original owner and by August 1988 he had sold the company to Ron Clanton in Salt Lake City, but I don't know for sure.

I tried searching the Mini Mag Index for Victorian Times and Clell Boyce and didn't find anything else, but I just remembered Nutshell News had a cover story with the Lacamas Lake House in the 80s. I'll dig that out tomorrow and see if it sheds any more light.

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I really appreciate all the info and research from all of you.  It’s even more interesting now than ever.   As for this emporium, it is quite beautiful.   Every store floor is inlaid.   The outside entrance goes to every store and is completely finished although it never gets seen.  Really amazing workmanship!  Would have loved to meet some of these craftsman.   Thanks again for the help!

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3 minutes ago, averyfinewoman said:

WeI really appreciate all the info and research from all of you.  It’s even more interesting now than ever.   As for this emporium, it is quite beautiful.   Every store floor is inlaid.   The outside entrance goes to every store and is completely finished although it never gets seen.  Really amazing workmanship!  Would have loved to meet some of these craftsman.   Thanks again for the help!

Well.....we are all eye candy hounds here! please don't leave us drooling. Post some pictures for us.* Pretty please*

Here is a thread on how to start an album

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=forums&module=forums&controller=topic&id=40441

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I dug out the Nutshell News with the Lacamas Lake House on the cover. It's July 1982 and the magazine had a feature on half scale dollhouses (it's the half scale version of the Lacamas Lake House on the cover). Not much info about the house, but it confirms that Clell Boyce owned Victorian Times Miniatures in 1982, in Vancouver WA.

Ironically, while I was Googling "Lacamas Lake House" to try to figure out which issue had it on the cover, I stumbled across a listing for a 1:12 Lacamas Lake House in Texas and Colleen (1martinimomma) bought it! The seller gave her a Victorian Times Miniatures catalogue that she wanted to post here but it was too big, so I put it up on my website for people to download: http://www.emilymorganti.com/dollhouse/victorian-times-catalog.pdf

The catalogue is stamped Doll Faire Miniatures / Victorian Times with an address in Pleasant Hill CA (which is in the San Francisco Bay Area). The interesting thing to me is the copyright dates at the bottoms of the pages. The first several houses (which we know/believe to be based on houses in the Pacific Northwest) have copyright dates of 1982 and 1984. Then there's one based on a house from Park City, Utah copyright 1989. And on the last page is a San Franciscan style house. So my guess is that Clell Boyce sold the company to Ron Clanton, who added the Utah house to the line, and then Ron Clanton sold it to Chuck and KC Ragland (whose signature is on the bottom of Colleen's Lacamas Lake House), who added the San Francisco style house.

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I want to thank everyone so much for all the research you've done, and the knowledge you have!  You've all been so helpful, and it's great to finally get

the info on my emporium that I wanted.  There are some ladies in my miniature club who knew Ron Clanton, and said his workmanship was really wonderful.

All of them have marveled at this store, and now to see the actual plan & catalog for it, is just so great.

Thanks again, As I get it dusted off and re-vitalized, I'll include pics.

Suzi

sugarhouseemporium.JPG

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Colleen uploaded the catalog to a gallery, for people who just want to browse it without downloading the whole PDF: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=gallery&module=gallery&controller=view&id=137966

Suzi, yours looks like an expanded version of the Country Victorian Store. Can't wait to see more pictures!

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  • 5 months later...

Thanks to everyone SO MUCH for all this information about dollhouse maker Ron Clanton.  I am in the process of also buying a house of his, The Elliot Bay House,  started googling to find out more info about him, and much to my delight was diverted onto my beloved Greenleaf Community site!  Congrats so much Suzi on your purchase it is truly a work of art, and I will be posting pics of my own masterpiece as well!

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  • 8 months later...

We are happy to see such an interest in the beautiful houses built by Victorian Times Miniatures while it was based in the Pacific Northwest. To set the record straight - my husband Clell Boyce started his dollhouse business in the late 70’s early 80’s - American Victorians, later to become known as Victorian Times Miniatures. We lived (and still do) in Vancouver Washington across the river from Portland, OR. Over the years Clell designed and sold hundreds of dollhouse shells and finished houses.  He first sold through 'Miniature House' a Portland dollhouse store owned and operated by Jerry LeBarron, and later sold his houses world-wide through mail order and other stores.

Clell originally designed all of the magnificent houses he sold under ‘American Victorians‘ and ‘Victorian Times’ over a span of about 20 years. He signed most of his houses on the bottom, but a few in the early years were not signed. Most were 1” scale, however he also did a 1/2” scale Lacamas Lake (which appeared on the cover of Nutshell News!)  Other houses were the Joseph Angel House, Elliot Bay House, Cook House, Bee Tree House, Josiah Golden House and many, many more. 

Eventually we grew tired of the grind and sold the Victorian Times name to a ‘Ron Clanton’. Clell and I kept ownership of all the professional photos of our houses (by copyright), and names of the houses with exception of three models which Mr. Clanton purchased the 3 house templates and the rights only to manufacture and sell them using the Victorian Times name.   No one other than Clell had any part in the design of the houses which took place many years prior. 

We have seen where other persons (some named throughout these blog pages) have laid claim to some of our original house designs, names, and even finished houses. They do so without permission or integrity. Clell's work speaks for itself. It's appalling that anyone would try to take credit for someone's life work - we hope this sheds light on things. 

Clell is still here but in poor health, so I am typing this for him (his email account) and also with his amen. 

Sally Boyce (attached photo Josiah Golden House) 

Josiah Golden2.jpg

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Thank you so much for all this information and clarity of it!   I purchased several finished homes (probably originally purchased as shells), and they are so unique and wonderfully built that I had to find out about them.

Because so much time has passed, it has been quite difficult to get the correct info, and many on this blog have contributed;

but to get "Clell Boyce" via you of course, is amazing and wonderful.  

The workmanship in these houses is exquisite and wonderful.  I so appreciate the craftsmanship in them.

Please thank Mr. Boyce for me, and thank you for your help and for responding and clearing it all up.

Take care, and prayers,

Suzi Rose

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  • 4 weeks later...

Averyfinewoman, I am terribly sorry I have not responded back, but I cannot, for the life of me, paste and post my Elliot Bay House by Ron Clanton on this page, despite my efforts! (I cant “respond” under your comment either, lots to still learn on this site!) I think we are talking about the same gal in Utah, because it was she who sold me the dollhouse, and as a matter of fact it is finally being shipped out, I am supposed to get it this week!!!   I was out of the country and she very graciously kept it for me all these Covid months while I finally made it back.  I am trying to post it now for you, its absolutely gorgeous (but so is yours!)

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Thanks so much ladies!!  I am absolutely thrilled with it, and it is larger than I thought!   The nuns are not mine, these are stock photos before I bought the dollhouse.  Never have a seen a more elaborate dollhouse, it is, and I kid you not, a mini version of a real house, and I will post more pics soon.  For anyone else interested, here is another article about these houses!https://www.deseret.com/1988/12/11/18787633/have-yourself-a-little-merry-christmas

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