The nostalgia of childhood and the interest awakened by historical toys converge in this exhibition at the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs until January 31. The sea of toys. History of the Spanish maritime toy, organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, compiles a collection of children’s pieces about the maritime history and the beach of the last 100 years.
The selected pieces are part of the Quiroga-Monte collection, one of the most complete collections of Spanish-made toys, dolls and children’s culture. Such is their recognition that they have already organized more than 100 exhibitions in the last twenty years.
In this case, La mar de juguetes (The Sea of Toys) is on display at the Seville museum, with free access for accredited European Union citizens.
Historical toys around the sea
The exhibition includes toy boats, dolls and children’s items made in Spanish workshops since the end of the 19th century with materials as diverse as tinplate and plastic.
The pieces in question reveal the cultural, economic and political transformations of the country from 1880 to 1990. All of this with the universe of the sea as a common thread.
Some of the most notorious pieces in the exhibition are a model of the Numancia seaplane or the toy boats that belonged to the architect AnĂbal González.
On the other hand, the exhibition is divided into the following sections: Full Sail, Steamships, The Underwater World, To the Beach, To the Beach, Pleasure Boats, Ocean Liners, Cardboard Theaters and It’s War!