Exhibition: How German Toymakers Captured the Hearts of Americans: 200 Years of German Toys

How German Toymakers Captured the Hearts of Americans: 200 Years of German Toys
Exhibit runs December 1, 2018 - March 28, 2019

For many centuries Germany has been recognized as one of the world's great toy producers; the GAHM is honoring this legacy with our display of German toys from the 19th through the 21st century, including porcelain dolls, original Steiff teddy bears and plush toys, and Heyde tin soldiers! A special play area allows visitors to experience German toys and games hands-on.

The exhibit opening will give visitors a chance to explore the exhibit, meet the curator, and ask questions of museum staff. It will also feature guest speaker Laura B. Simo, the C. Malcolm Watkins Fellow in the Division of Culture & Community Life at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. Tasked with cataloguing and researching the Division’s Domestic Life collection – roughly 35,000 everyday household objects used in America from the seventeenth century to today –Laura has encountered everything from colonial silver and tea tables to 19th-century hairwork and washboard patent models to 20th-century Herman Miller furniture and Tupperware. She will be speaking about the history of German toys as it relates to the Smithsonian Institution's collection and discussing some of her favorite artifacts that showcase the prevalence of German toys in American culture.

Explore the impressive history of German toy-making and stop by the museum while the exhibit is on display!
Museum Hours:
Tuesdays - Fridays: 11 am - 5 pm
Select Saturdays: 11 am - 4 pm

December weekend dates: December 1, December 8, December 14. Check out our website here for a full list of Saturday dates.

Contact: (202) 467-5000 or info@gahmusa.org for information, tickets, or groups