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Victorian Nursery Sets and Hyper-Realistic Baby Dolls in Film and TV

By Blog

From lavish period dramas to eerie psychological thrillers, the Victorian nursery is a recurring visual scene in film and television, that can evoke a mixture of nostalgia, opulence, and sometimes, unease.

The Allure of the Victorian Themed Nursery

The visual language used in Victorian nurseries in film and tv includes —ornate cribs, wooden rocking horses and shelves stacked with antique toys—this helps to immediately signal a specific time and tone. Designers go to great lengths to get the details right, from period-accurate furniture to hand-painted murals. These choices help immerse audiences, making the setting as much a character as the people within it.

 

Click here to see more of our Nursery themed props 

 

We have supplied our nursery themed props to the likes of Downton Abbey, All Creatures Great and Small, and even The Crown, who used this kind of set design to create a sense of historical depth and innocence.

However, in horror or psychological thrillers, Victorian nurseries can take on a darker role sometimes becoming sites of supernatural tension. Think of The Others or Crimson Peak, where the nursery becomes a silent witness to ghostly happenings.

 

All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small

 

Prop Babies: The Rise of Hyper-Realistic Dolls

Handling real infants on set is notoriously difficult—Firstly, babies can only work limited hours, need constant care, and may not cooperate with dramatic timing. Enter the world of reborn dolls: hyper-realistic, hand-crafted dolls used as stand-ins for real babies.

Companies like Cinebaby are a great example of the craftmanship that goes into these dolls. They are sculpted and painted with such detail—that they’re nearly indistinguishable from real infants on camera. They are used for both practical and dramatic reasons: they don’t cry, they don’t need feeding, additionally they can lie perfectly still for long, contemplative shots.

You may have seen one without realizing it. Shows like Call the Midwife, The Handmaid’s Tale, EastEnders, and This Is Us have all used prop babies for close-ups, birth scenes, or where real infants would be too vulnerable.

Three Life like Reborn Dolls Available to Hire

Why It Matters

In summary, Victorian nursery sets and hyper-realistic baby dolls help ground often fantastical stories in a tactile, believable world. Whether they are evoking the rigid gentility of an upper-class 19th-century home or exploring the raw vulnerability of parenthood.

So, next time you watch a scene set in a plush, old-fashioned nursery. Or hold your breath as someone gently places a new-born in its crib. Take a closer look—you’re likely witnessing the uncanny magic of television craft at work.

 

Please contact us for more information and pricing details for our props.

Drop us an email: mail@stockyardnorth.com or give us a quick call on 0161 872 9206.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modern Street Dressing – Bin There Done That!

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Alma’s Not Normal/BBC

Modern Street Dressing – Bin there done that!

What do bollards, litter bins, and lamp posts all have in common?…

…they’re all used for set dressing an exterior scene and sometimes used by dogs! In this blog post we will explore all things modern street dressing. Typically thought as the dullest area of set design, we’re here to show you they can be the most important part of a shot by busying up a set and background that fits the location.

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Shatter Glass For Use In TV And Film

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We’ve recently been taking stock of our consumables shop here at Stockyard North. We’ve built-up a rather large collection of shatter glass and breakaway bottles.

clear rum bottle sugar glassOur shatter glass is available for last-minute stunt requests in the North West. Before you pay an extortionate amount for a courier to collect it from down south – it’s always worth picking up the phone and giving us a call. We may just have the breakaway items you’ve been searching for.

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Arresting Police Dramas – And The Office Props Behind Them

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Its A Sin - Channel 4

It’s A Sin/Channel 4

Police Station/Office Dressing

It is no secret that the British television industry has produced some of the best and most compelling police dramas around.

With the rise in popularity of these shows, it comes as no surprise that our office prop and furniture collection is in demand. Spanning the 1980’s – present day, our office furniture and office smalls sections are some of our most widely propped areas. Some of the most dramatic and suspenseful crime storylines are often centred around the backdrop of a bustling police bullpen.

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canvas tarps for set dressing

Canvas Tarps – A Cover-Up Story

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We thought we’d kick off the new year with some helpful blog posts to help you dress your set in 2025 and beyond.
We’re hoping to create a useful and informative guide for the art department community, which explores our prop collection in-depth. We want to give you a detailed view of some of the items available for hire at Stockyard North, and how they can benefit your set.
In this particular blog post we’ll be focusing on the canvas tarp, an unsung hero in TV and film production. They have a plethora of uses on set and can play a vital role in all kinds of productions.

canvas tarp all creatures

All Creatures Great And Small – BBC

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wedding prop hire

Wedding Prop Hire And Events Hire

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We’ve been busy bees here at Stockyard North over the past month or so.

Our team have been working diligently preparing to launch our new catalogue of props for weddings and events.

Do you have a special day lined-up that you require props for? We have a huge selection of beautiful props for hire – to include in your wedding, birthday or any other event that requires that little something extra.

wedding props for hire Read More

FAQs

By Blog

Summer is an extremely busy period for the screen industries in the north, and with a fresh flock of recent graduates to boot, we thought it was a good time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive.

 

yellow rotary phone
So, what exactly is a prop house?

Essentially, we are a big warehouse full of the set dressing that you see behind actors on TV. People who work in TV, film, advertising, and theatre come to us to hire items to make their sets look amazing. We’ve have thousands items from a range of eras, decades and places – including Victorian era props, American street dressing, modern furniture and everything in between!

Who can hire props?

Whether you are a production designer, petty cash buyer, event planner, student filmmaker, or overworked drama teacher put in charge of the school’s most recent production of Oliver, we’ve got you covered.

 

How does it work?

It’s simple, give us a call or drop us an email with your brief. Even better come down to our site, have a cuppa in the office with the team, and get the full VIP tour of the prop house. While you are here, we will run through the pricing, and prop options and organise the paperwork for you.

However, we know many just can’t make it to us. Production life is relentless and often remote, we get it. We don’t mind sending over details photos, dimensions, and quotes and we will do this as fast as we can.

 

Why can’t I see the prices on the website/in the prop house?

We honestly aren’t trying to be coy, but our prices are dependent on the duration of hire. For instance, the same chair could cost you £20 or £100 depending on how long you would like to hire it for. We will work personally on each quote to give you all the information you need for your individual production needs.

 

Do you have cleared artwork?

For anyone who has been lost in our galleried hallways you know we have an extensive collection of artwork for hire. This artwork is cleared for screen use and we can provide clearance letters upon request.

 

Can we buy the props?

We have been known to have a yard sale or two so it’s worth keeping an eye on our socials if you are interested in purchasing a piece of prop heaven for yourself.

 

I want to hire props for my wedding/party/company event/ prom…..

We do hire to the general public, and we are more than happy to help make your event look unique. We would recommend visiting us if you haven’t before, this will help to get a feel of what we have to offer and enable us to talk you through the hiring process in a little more detail.

 

Do you do any discounts?

We offer a discount to students shooting their films and/or projects. We also offer ten days of hire for the price of seven to theatres.

Will you deliver my props?

In a word, no, BUT we know who can. We have long-standing relationships with the best industry specialists in transporting props and scenery and can set up introductions to ensure your production has everything it needs logistically.

If you aren’t in the screen industry and need something a little smaller scale, we can provide you with the details of trusted smaller-scale couriers.

 

My production is running again next year and I need to store the set, can you help?

We absolutely can. We have specialist scenery storage facilities and can help with the transport logistics. Call the team today for more info and a quote.

pommel horseI have items that I want to sell, do you buy props?

Our props are sourced in a variety of ways and if there is something we need we will buy from private sellers, online auctions, and productions.  We love seeing items that people have to sell and we are absolute geeks when it comes to hearing the stories behind them however, we only have so much room (much to our annoyance) so we do have to be discerning when it comes to buying.

 

I would love to work at SN, how do I become part of the team?

We are a small team and permanent vacancies are rare, however, we often have freelancers in during busy periods or to cover annual leave. If this is something you would be interested in then contact the team mail@stockyardnorth.com or pop in for a chat.

Sporting Props.

By Blog

With the Paris 2024 Olympics nearly upon us, we have seen a huge demand for sporting props.

Our collection boasts vintage gymnasium equipment including pommel horses, trampolines, exercise bikes, goal posts, and punch bags. To complement these bigger pieces our smalls include boxing gloves, weights, rackets of all kinds, helmets, surfboards, skateboards, and horse riding accoutrement. We also have a selection of trophies, rosettes, and sport-themed wall art.

If you have something in mind that you can’t find on our website then just let us know and we will do all we can to get you the winning props!

pommel horsetarget archery board

contact us today.

a variety show theatre poster featuring the name Ike Freedman is resting on a wooden table. The room is filled with historic furnishings and light fittings.

Family History Uncovered.

By Blog

Very occasionally we get a phone call in the office that stops us in our tracks and the phone call we received from Trudy Turnbull in June of this year did just that.

Whilst watching channel four’s ‘The Gathering’ with her husband, Trudy noticed a billboard in one of the scenes. It was a 1930s variety show billboard, and it contained her father’s name, Ike Freedman. Unable to believe her eyes, Trudy contacted the production company, World Productions and they told her the billboard was a hired prop from Stockyard North.

When Trudy spoke to us she told the story of spotting her dear father’s name on one of our billboards and we were thrilled to reunite her with a piece of her family history.

a variety show theatre poster featuring the name Ike Freedman is resting on a wooden table. The room is filled with historic furnishings and light fittings.    A sheet music cover for 'only a jew' sung by Ike Freedman

Ike Freedman was born Issac Soloman in 1895 in Wigan and though the family had no connection to the stage, he made a successful career as a variety performer. Ike travelled around the world with his act however, he was a regular performer at The Princess Theatre in Glasgow. The variety billboard owned by Stockyard North was from this theatre and has made many appearances on the silver screen during its time as one of our props.

We are grateful to Trudy and her Husband Alex for sharing their family connection. It is amazing to remember the value, stories, and history found in the props held within these walls. It makes the props all the more interesting and preserving them all the more important.

If you have any questions about any of our props please don’t hesitate to contact us.