Toys are relics of childhood that accompany us at a crucial time in our lives: the early stages of cognitive development. They allow us to invent stories and scenarios, fostering creativity and problem solving. Moreover, as games change according to the social context, they help to understand the lifestyles and interests of the time in which they are made.
To show the evolution that forms of play have undergone in the last hundred years, the Directorate General of Libraries, Archives and Museums of the Madrid City Council has organized an exhibition with more than 500 pieces: wooden trains, tin boats, porcelain handcrafted dolls and many other treasures that some of us thought were lost.
Del juguete al cielo will be on display at the Centro Cultural Conde Duque (Room 1) until March 9, 2025. All the pieces in the exhibition belong to two great collectors: José Antonio Quiroga and Covadonga Monte. The couple has one of the most complete private toy collections in Spain and has organized more than 100 exhibitions in twenty years.
A historical journey through toys
The collection ranges from the tin toys that emerged in the early 20th century to the first electric trains manufactured in Spain, as well as magic, architecture and strategy games, among many other treasures from different historical periods.
In homage to the capital, the exhibition will include toys created by Madrid manufacturers, such as handmade toy soldiers; Florido dolls (including the famous Mariquita Pérez); a Cayetana dressed as a chulapa and replicas of buses that circulated around the city in the 1930s.