By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that a new display will open on Saturday, Feb. 29 highlighting its newly acquired collection of toys that move. This display, located just outside the popular TOYS! special exhibition, features the magic of motion in toys.
From the ancient Chinese and Greek automatons to the clockwork marvels of the Renaissance, inventors have always searched for ways to make their creations change and move. In modern times, many German and Japanese companies specialized in making a huge variety of affordable wind-up toys. In the twentieth century, the American firm Fisher-Price became well known for its high quality wooden, and eventually plastic, pull toys, many of which are seen in this new display.
The toys featured in this collection are new to the GRPM’s permanent Collection that contains over 250,000 artifacts and specimens.They come from collector Beth Schwartz, who began toy collecting in the early 1990s when she was traveling the country as an actress/singer working in touring Broadway shows. She loved searching out new pieces for her collection, especially Fisher-Price pull toys and antique wind-ups.
“We are so grateful to the family of Beth Schwartz for donating her amazing toy collection to the Museum. Although Beth passed away in 2011, her collection will continue to delight and inspire children of all ages who visit,” said Alex Forist, the GRPM’s Chief Curator.
‘Toys that Move’ is on display on the second floor of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, and will be part of the general admission experience. The exhibit is presented in both English and Spanish.
