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| Mechelen Toy Museum | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mechelen Toy Museum |
| Established | 1982 |
| Location | Mechelen, Belgium |
| Type | Toy museum |
Mechelen Toy Museum The Mechelen Toy Museum is a cultural institution in Mechelen, Belgium, dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of toys and playthings from the 18th century to the present. The museum presents historical artifacts, mechanical models, and popular culture items in thematic displays that connect to the histories of Belgium, Flanders, Antwerp (city), Brussels, and wider European and transatlantic toy traditions. Curatorial approaches reference museological practices at institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Toy Museum of Prague, National Toy Hall of Fame, and Strong National Museum of Play.
The museum was founded amid a wave of heritage initiatives in the 1980s influenced by precedents like the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Victoria and Albert Museum, Rijksmuseum, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, and private collections formed by collectors akin to Michel de Ghelderode enthusiasts. Early supporters included municipal authorities from Mechelen, provincial actors from Antwerp Province, and collectors associated with networks around Brussels Toy Fair, Spielwarenmesse, and the Nuremberg Toy Museum. Key milestones reflect interactions with exhibitions at Centraal Museum Utrecht, Musée du Jouet Colmar, and exchanges with the Toy Library (bibliothèque de jouets) movement inspired by models in Paris and Lyon. Collaborative conservation projects referenced standards from the ICOM and conservation techniques developed at the Getty Conservation Institute, Rijksmuseum Conservation Department, and laboratories at the Royal Museums of Art and History.
The permanent holdings include European and transatlantic material culture such as tinplate toys related to manufacturers from Schoenhut, Marklin, Lehmann (toy manufacturer), and Bing (company), plastic figurines from Hasbro, Mattel, Kenner (company), construction toys like Meccano, LEGO, and board games published by Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley Company, and Giochi Preziosi. The museum preserves mechanical automatons akin to works by Jacques de Vaucanson, clockwork mechanisms echoing the engineering of John Harrison and Christiaan Huygens, and doll traditions connected to makers such as Jumeau (doll maker), Armand Marseille, and Heinrich Handwerker. Toy vehicles in the collection reference brands Dinky Toys, Matchbox, Corgi Toys, and Tri-ang as well as railway models by Hornby and Fleischmann. Ephemeral materials include trade catalogues from Sears, Roebuck and Company, Petitcollin, and advertisements from Harper's Bazaar, while popular culture items connect to franchises like Star Wars, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Walt Disney merchandising. The assemblage is augmented by donations from private collectors and acquisitions linked to auctions at houses such as Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams.
Temporary exhibitions have examined themes from Victorian era playrooms to postwar consumer culture, often curated in dialogue with partners including MuseumsQuartier, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Stedelijk Museum, and festivals like Kinderboekenweek and Gentse Feesten. The museum stages thematic shows exploring craftsmanship traditions of Belgian artisans, retrospectives on brands like LEGO, themed displays tied to anniversaries of Tintin (character), and interactive installations inspired by pedagogues such as Friedrich Froebel and Maria Montessori. Events include annual toy fairs, collector markets modeled on Nürnberg Toy Fair, film screenings referencing Walt Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli, and symposiums with academics from KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Ghent University, and the Free University of Brussels (ULB).
Educational programming targets schools, families, and researchers, collaborating with institutions such as Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, MAS (Museum aan de Stroom), Plantin-Moretus Museum, and local libraries in Mechelen and Antwerp. Workshops reference play theories by Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Erik Erikson, and Siegfried Giedion for historical context, while activity sheets draw on archival practice inspired by UNESCO guidelines for intangible heritage. Outreach includes traveling exhibitions to venues like Centraal Museum Utrecht and exchange loans to the Toy Museum of Prague, participation in European cultural programs under Creative Europe, and engagement with collectors' networks such as the International Toy Research Association.
Housed in historic architecture within central Mechelen, the museum occupies space proximate to landmarks including St. Rumbold's Cathedral, Grote Markt (Mechelen), Kazerne Dossin, and the Dyle (river). The building’s conservation work references restoration practice used at sites like Plantin-Moretus Museum and adheres to urban planning frameworks from Flemish Region authorities. Accessibility and visitor flow design took inspiration from exhibition strategies at British Museum, Musée d'Orsay, and Rijksmuseum.
The museum offers guided tours, family trails, educational packs for schools from Basisonderwijs and programs for adult learners in partnership with Open University of the Arts (Artez) and Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. Visitor amenities follow standards similar to those at Musée du Louvre and Van Gogh Museum, including a museum shop with reproductions and publications referencing catalogues by Thames & Hudson and Prestel Publishing. Practical details such as opening hours, admission, and special access are available through municipal channels of Mechelen and cultural portals maintained by Visit Flanders.
Category:Museums in Mechelen Category:Toy museums