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Brighton Toy and Model Museum (sometimes referred to as Brighton Toy Museum) is an independent
toy museum A toy museum is a museum for toys. They typically showcase toys from a particular culture or period with their history. These are distinct from children's museums, which are museums for children, and are often interactive – toy museums may be ...
situated in
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
,
East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...
(registered charity no. 1001560). Its collection focuses on toys and models produced in the UK and Europe up until the mid-Twentieth Century, and occupies four thousand square feet of floor space within four of the early Victorian arches supporting the forecourt of
Brighton railway station Brighton railway station is the southern terminus of the Brighton Main Line in England, and the principal station serving the city of Brighton, East Sussex. It is from via . The station is managed by Govia Thameslink Railway, which operat ...
. Founded in 1991, the museum holds over ten thousand toys and models, including model train collections,
puppets A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to move ...
, Corgi, Dinky, Budgie Toys, construction toys and radio-controlled aircraft. The display area includes large operational
model railway layout In model railroading, a ''layout'' is a diorama containing scale track for operating trains. The size of a layout varies, from small shelf-top designs to ones that fill entire rooms, basements, or whole buildings. Attention to modeling details s ...
s (in 0- and 00-gauge), and displays of period pieces from manufacturers and brands including
Bing Bing most often refers to: * Bing Crosby (1903–1977), American singer * Microsoft Bing, a web search engine Bing may also refer to: Food and drink * Bing (bread), a Chinese flatbread * Bing (soft drink), a UK brand * Bing cherry, a varie ...
,
Bassett-Lowke Bassett-Lowke was an English toy manufacturing company based in Northampton. Founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, the company specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets. Bassett-Lowke started as a ...
, Georges Carette,
Dinky Dinky may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dinky Toys, a brand of die-cast toy vehicles * Dinky (film), a 1935 film starring Jackie Cooper * Dinky Bossetti, protagonist of the 1990 film '' Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael'', played by Winona Ryde ...
, Hornby Trains,
Märklin Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH or Märklin (MÄRKLIN or MAERKLIN in capital letters) is a German toy company. The company was founded in 1859 and is based at Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg. Although it originally specialised in doll house accesso ...
,
Meccano Meccano is a brand of model construction system created in 1898 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England. The system consists of reusable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, and plastic parts that are connected using nut ...
, Pelham Puppets and
Steiff Steiff is a German-based plush toy company. It was founded in 1880 by Margarete Steiff, a seamstress. The toys began as elephants, and were originally a design Steiff found in a magazine and sold as pincushions to her customers. However, childr ...
. It also includes individually engineered working models including a quarter-scale traction engine, steamroller and
Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
fighter plane in the lobby.


Museum lobby

Entrance to the first arch of the museum, containing the foyer/shop area and the Brighton Visitor Information Point, is free. This area provides free maps and brochures, and has a small "stocking filler" toy shop used by visiting school trips, secondhand books, and a set of "Collector's Market" cabinets containing collectables that are sold on a commission basis. It also contains the "Glamour of Brighton" exhibition, whose Brighton-related models and displays include the Brighton Pavilion, Magnus Volk's
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
and seashore electric railways, the old Brighton locomotive works, and the
Brighton Belle The ''Brighton Belle'' was a named train which was operated by the Southern Railway and subsequently by British Rail from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. Commissioned as the flagship of the Southern Railway's mas ...
Pullman train. The largest exhibits in the foyer are a quarter-scale coal-fired
traction engine A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any t ...
, a large motorised
Meccano Meccano is a brand of model construction system created in 1898 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England. The system consists of reusable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, and plastic parts that are connected using nut ...
Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...
, and an overhead quarter-scale radio-controlled
Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
model aircraft. The first arch also contains offices and construction and restoration workshops that are not open to the public.


Ticketed main area

The main area of the museum fills the next three arches and contains a large 1930s
0 gauge O scale (or O gauge) is a scale commonly used for toy trains and rail transport modelling. Introduced by German toy manufacturer Märklin around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail alternating current O gauge was the most common model railroad sca ...
model railway layout,
00 gauge OO gauge or OO scale (also, 00 gauge and 00 scale) is the most popular standard-gauge model railway standard in the United Kingdom, outside of which it is virtually unknown. OO gauge is one of several 4 mm-scale standards (4 mm to 1 foot, ...
model railway town and countryside layouts, and collections of model locomotives, soft toys, puppets and marionettes, construction toys, building construction sets, model ships, radio controlled model aircraft, and farm, circus, zoo and ship toy sets. It also includes displays of diecast models including Matchbox,
Dinky Toys Dinky Toys was the brand name for a range of die-cast zamak zinc alloy scale model vehicles produced by British toy company Meccano Ltd. They were made in England from 1934 to 1979, at a factory in Binns Road in Liverpool. Dinky Toys were am ...
, Corgi Toys and Spot-On. Exhibition displays draw on outside guest collections and on varying selections taken from the Museum's core collection.


Events and temporary exhibitions

The museum is a venue for the
Brighton Science Festival Brighton Science Festival is a yearly science festival held in Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. A ...
and the Brighton Fringe. Public train running days are typically held twice a year (Spring and Autumn), and the museum's Education section organises school visits with optional puppet shows and talks. Temporary themed exhibitions usually coincide with an anniversary – 2012 exhibitions addressed the centenary of the launch and sinking of
RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger Ocean liner, liner, operated by the White Star Line, which Sinking of the Titanic, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton ...
(April to August), the centenary of the Leeds Model Company (September to October) the 75th anniversary of the 1937
Coronation Scot The ''Coronation Scot'' was a named express passenger train of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway inaugurated in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth which ran until the start of the war in 1939. It ran on t ...
streamlined steam bullet-train (November to December).


Non-public areas


Workshop areas

As well as a carpentry workshop that produces the museum's cabinetry and displays, the museum also has a world-class toy repair and restoration workshop, with tinsmithing tools and its own sample library of parts and reference paint finishes.


Reference library

The reference library is the centre of most of the historical research that takes place in the museum, and a source of material for the museum's online knowledgebase.


Partnerships

The museum became the first
community rail Community rail in Britain is the support of railway lines and stations by local organisations, usually through community rail partnerships (CRPs) comprising railway operators, local councils, and other community organisations, and rail user grou ...
partner to Brighton Station in March 2013. In 2013, the museum announced a twinning with the
Rahmi M. Koç Museum The Rahmi M. Koç Museum is a private industrial museum in Istanbul, Turkey dedicated to the history of transport, industry and communications. Rahmi M. Koç, member of the wealthiest dynasty in Turkey and retired chairman (currently the honorar ...
,
Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...
.


Heritage Lottery Funded projects


"Toys in the Community" oral history project, 2014–16

A 2014 grant from the
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
supported "Toys in the Community: Valuing memories of dolls, teddy bears and construction toys", a two-year community outreach and oral history project.


Frank Hornby 150th anniversary project, 2012–2013

A 2012 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund helped the museum to coordinate, publicise and organise celebrations and events during 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of
Frank Hornby Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 – 21 September 1936) was an English inventor, businessman and politician. He was a visionary in toy development and manufacture, and although he had no formal engineering training, he was responsible for the inven ...
. The grant funded an expansion of the Museum's online coverage of
Meccano Meccano is a brand of model construction system created in 1898 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England. The system consists of reusable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, and plastic parts that are connected using nut ...
, Hornby trains and
Dinky Toys Dinky Toys was the brand name for a range of die-cast zamak zinc alloy scale model vehicles produced by British toy company Meccano Ltd. They were made in England from 1934 to 1979, at a factory in Binns Road in Liverpool. Dinky Toys were am ...
, a public wifi access point, and the installation and ongoing development of a touchscreen information system to allow members of the public to retrieve information on exhibits from around the museum.


The Brighton Toy and Model Index

The Brighton Toy and Model Index (ISSN 2399-1798) is an online resource on toys and models made up until around 1960, maintained and updated by the museum. The "Index" runs on the
MediaWiki MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki software. It is used on Wikipedia and almost all other Wikimedia websites, including Wiktionary, Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata; these sites define a large part of the requirement set for Media ...
platform, and as of March 2018 has over seven thousand content pages and a similar number of images.


History


History of the building

The arches were built shortly after the 1841 railway station to support the station forecourt, with the space used to store beer barrels for a brewery, with the current museum entrance housing four dray horses and a corn storage silo. The structure is also one of a number of buildings in
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
that are reputed to be haunted. The space was acquired and renovated by the trust in 1990.


History of the museum

The museum was founded as a charitable trust in 1990 by Christopher Littledale, the museum's first and current Director, and opened in 1991.Brighton Toy and Model Museum Souvenir Guide (2018) In November 1998 the museum was forced to close for three years due to flooding caused by road-resurfacing work on the area in front of the station, which had interfered with a Victorian drainage system. The museum reopened on 12 October 2001, after Railtrack funded repair works to waterproof the museum, and in November 2004 HRH
Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...
visited the museum and unveiled a commemorative plaque. In November 2005 the museum was awarded £1,594.70 of grant money from the Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex Museum Development Service's ''SEWS Museum Development Fund'', to purchase computer equipment and create a database of specialist information about toys. The museum launched a "Make History Fun" campaign in October 2005, with comedian and archaeologist Tony Robinson the campaign's patron. Claire Eden was curator of the museum between September 2005 and December 2006, replacing Andrew Woodfield. Local band Peggy Sue and the Pirates staged a short performance at the museum as part of the T Mobile phone network's ''The Great Escape'' Festival. Tony Robinson's visit to the museum on 1 June 2007 achieved extensive BBC News coverage.BBC TV, 'Actor, author and presenter Tony Robinson has been taken on a trip down memory lane at Brighton's Toy and Model Museum'
/ref> The museum also appeared in ''The Argus

on 29 June 2007 and the ''Brighton and Hove Leader'' on 5 July 2007, for a fairground exhibit that was displayed between July and October 2007.


The Brighton Belle Mural

The planned return of the Art Deco
Brighton Belle The ''Brighton Belle'' was a named train which was operated by the Southern Railway and subsequently by British Rail from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. Commissioned as the flagship of the Southern Railway's mas ...
all-electric Pullman train was celebrated on 23 September 2010 with a street party and the unveiling of a full-sized mural of a Pullman carriage by the Chairman of the 'Railway Heritage Trust and Museum Patron
Sir William McAlpine Sir William Hepburn McAlpine, 6th Baronet, (12 January 1936 – 4 March 2018) was a British businessman who was director of the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine. Early life and career Born in London in 1936 at the family-owned Dorchest ...
. Inside the museum, the "Glamour of Brighton" exhibition was opened by the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Geoffrey Wells. The mural depicts the Brighton Belle waiting to leave Brighton Station and extends for the full length of the museum.
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...
, a regular traveller on the train, is pictured at one of the carriage windows.


25th Anniversary

The museum celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016 with a special programme of events and a series of new exhibits, including an improved
Meccano Meccano is a brand of model construction system created in 1898 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England. The system consists of reusable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, and plastic parts that are connected using nut ...
display and a new display of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century dollhouse miniatures.


Opening times

The museum is usually closed on Mondays for maintenance work and cleaning, and for larger school visits that would be disruptive during normal public days. Its standard opening times are: Admission to the shop area and information point is free. Admission to the museum area is ticketed and prices (as of August 2015) are: The building has been adapted for wheelchair users but the museum requests advance notice if any member of a party requires wheelchair access

School visits can be organised through the Education Officer. Advance notice is also requested for other group visits to avoid scheduling conflicts.


Governance

Brighton Toy And Model Museum is an independent, non-profit organisation and a registered charity. The museum's Trustees are: * Vic Michel - Chairman * Chris Littledale - Director/Founder * Neil Bennett - Secretary * Hugo Marsh, Milan Simek, Anthony Capo-Bianco, Peter Bryant, Ray Child


Television

The museum was featured in episode 2 of the
Sky Atlantic Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HB ...
series " Urban Secrets" (2012), in which
Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in '' Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre ...
presented an unconventional view of Brighton.


Sources


"Toy Museum Has A Brighter Outlook"
from the ''Argus'' archives, first published Saturday 29 September 2001. Retrieved 23 November 2007.

from the ''Argus'' archives, first published Friday 5 November 2001. Retrieved 23 November 2007.

from the ''Argus'' archives, first published Tuesday 22 May 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2007.

from the Brighton Toy and Model Museum website. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
Photogrammetry at Brighton Toy and Model Museum
(August 2019) DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32030.89920


References


External links


Brighton Toy and Model Museum (Google Places)

Brighton Toy and Model Museum (Official website)

Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Collections and Exhibits Knowledgebase
ISSN 2399-1798
BTMM Newsletter, 2011 (pdf)

BTMM Newsletter, 2012 (pdf)

Website for the 5BEL Trust, which is bringing back the Brighton Belle

Brighton Toy and Model Museum (worthpoint.co.uk)
* Robert Nemeth
Building Opinions: Brighton Toy and Model Museum
Latest Homes magazines no.512 (8-14 Feb 2011) * ''The Hornby Railway Collector'' magazine, No 458, November 2010 - cover article and two two-page spreads on the Museum, and Museum Director Chris Littledale
Brighton ''Argus'' newspaper website, search results for published stories
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brighton Toy and Model Museum Museums in Brighton and Hove Museums established in 1991 Museums with wikis Puppet museums Railway museums in England Toy museums in England Model railway shows and exhibitions 1991 establishments in England