Toys out of this world

Home/Toys out of this world
Exhibitions > Past

Toys out of this world

Exhibition Type
Temporary Exhibition
Date
27 Apr 2019
— 5 Jan 2020

On the 50th anniversary of Man’s first step on the moon, Museu do Caramulo launched the “Toys from another world” exhibition, which recalls the toys, characters, brands and stories that inspired countless generations of children to dream of Humanity’s greatest odyssey: the conquest of space.

Neil Armstrong and ‘Buzz’ Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. Although man was only able to step foot on the moon 50 years ago, that milestone had already been reached centuries previous in the realm of imagination. The conquest of space and the desire to go beyond terrestrial limits have always been a goal of humanity, and especially of children.

The wonders of space had already been explored in the 19th century by the fantastic stories of authors like Júlio Verde, Orson Wells, Anthony Rogers and even Hergé, in the first half of the 20th century. With the advent of rockets and the capability of newly created jet engines, born out of World War II, nations hurried to attempt space exploration. The aim was to make what was  then a distant possibility into reality.

After that, the hunger for inter-galactic adventures grew even more intensely, this time boosted by science fiction on television and cinema, with numerous series and films like Star Trek, Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica, Flash Gordon, Space 1999 and Star Wars. Their media success, coupled with the space race between the USA and the Soviet Union, inevitably meant a translation into the world of toys—bringing this entire universe into our homes.

The “Toys from another world” exhibition was on display at Museu do Caramulo from April 27 to November 3, 2020. It was supported by Tondela City Council, Back to the Past, Jornal dos Classicos and Banco BPI.