Musée du Jouet et de l'Enfant

"More than 6000 toys from the end of the 19th century to the last years of the 1970s: toys of all kinds: wooden, crafted, mechanical, musical, board games, electric trains, miniature cars and other vehicles of different sizes, stuffed toys, teddy bears, soldiers, dolls, prams, shops, cooking stoves, sewing machines and tiny kitchenware. Amongst the toys made in Belgium are notably on display: the collection of NAZAIRE-BEEUSAERT horses made of pasteboard in Deinze (Gand) from 1920 to 1960-a large dollsZ house (1913) crafted for a family of Liege-a collection of dolls :CHANTRAIN (1920-1930, Brussels), GAUMEL (1937, Hoboken), WATHELET (1920-1958, Brussels), UNICA (1921-1970, Courtrai), E.V.F. (1932, Ernset Villain of Forchies-la-Marche) ? a range of accessories designed for "church games" which were very popular from the 18th century through the last years of the 60s-DURSO figurines made in Liege by M. Klimov from 1938 to 1970-BATIMA construction sets (1920-1950, Ixelles) made of `carton pierreZ(a type of papier-maché imitating stone or bronze sculpture)-miniature porcelain sets from the Nimy, Andenne or Brussels factories, as well as a range of aluminum household utensils made by the ironworks of Bouillon-a small crafted musical carrousel (1968, Ensival) a replica of the "Polleur dZAmay" which operated at the fair of Liege at the beginning of the last century (more than 3000 running hours)-replicas of agricultural machines (... in working order!) amazing one-shot items made by a spirited octogenarian (Bomal, Durbuy)-small animals made by the BONHOMME company of Verviers specialists in the production of hands and arms for mannequins, and which secretly produced these toys during the war. Amongst the toys made in foreign countries the SCHUCO and MARKLIN cars of Germany are on display, as well as DINKY TOYS (1933-1987, UK) and MATCHBOX (1947, USA)-construction toys with notably the MECCANO elements (UK)-dolls like the PETIT COLIN of France, the TORTUE of Germany, and other German or British dolls. The oldest doll of the museum is a BELTON of France (1850)-destruction games or games of skill (ring toss, billiards, skittles) one of which from the Jura region of France. Among the out of the ordinary : an unusual money-box of German origin or yet a three-faced doll. Township building constructed around 1875 in order to split the "Bati" public school. It housed the South school and the lodgings of the school master of the North. The Free School of the Sisters occupied it from 1893 to 1979, then the municipal kindergarten class took it over until 1982. The Toy Museum has been housed here since 1984. The back section which held the classrooms was destroyed during the construction of the new wing (1998). This imposing building is typical of its function and its time. The lay-out, distribution and the dimensions of the premises were specified by the scholastic laws of 1852 and 1874. Its perfect symmetry enables one to imagine the lay-out of the inside rooms. ..., half-moon gutter, no ledge. Limestone cinder-blocks ...Jutting angles and center of the façade with rose-colored seams (projection). Triangular pediment. Sous bâtière, chéneau demi-lune, pas de corniche. Moellons de calcaire assisés. Anglées et centre de la façade en saillie avec des joints de couleur rose (ressaut). Fronton triangulaire. Baies en saillie à linteau droit monolithe et clé passante. Montants monolithes à deux harpes. Appui des fenêtres en saillie. Surjour aux porte et fenêtres (« sordjoû »). Soubassement appareillé avec soupiraux (« colonîres »)."