An exhibition of favorite yoys of the communism era.  

Temporary exhibition PLAYING HOUSE is an enchanting and sentimental journey to the past.  The latest exhibition prepared by The Dollhouse Museum presents a fascinating collection of toys manufactured from post-War years until the economic breakthrough of the 1990s.

Vast majority of the exhibits are items made by Polish craft workshops and toy-industry cooperatives, occasionally destined for export. An additional context is introduced by foreign toys since in Polish children's rooms between 1952 and 1989 you could find native products as well as ones from The Eastern Bloc countries, e.g. Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union, Bulgaria or GDR and even several Western „pearls" – an undoubted dream of Polish children living in those times.  

Among over half a thousand exclusively selected toys you can find items highly diverse in terms of their nature, materials and manufacturing techniques, including genuine, one of a kind and unique products in original packaging with preserved tags or stamps. All the toys are united by one subject: widely understood home life. Each of presented exhibits allowed children to play everyday life led by adults and this way learn future roles, behaviours and society functions.

The exhibition is divided into 12 thematic presentations reflecting different everyday activities. For instance, in the 'Great Laundry' part we can find miniature washboards, washing machines and clothes dryers. In the parts regarding cooking there are fully equipped kitchens with tiny pots, rolling pins, blenders, dinner sets and cutlery. These and other objects amaze us with creativity and their incredible functionality sometimes being just miniature versions of genuine household items. Among selected exhibits you can also find dolls – main life-reflecting toys – with dollhouse furniture and accessories.

PLAYING HOUSE is an extremely interesting  cultural offer for whole family. Youngest recipients have an opportunity to discover toys well-remembered by their parents or grandparents and, at the same time learn the history of everyday life items. Older ones can take advantage of the exhibition by reminiscing about the past and carefree days when adolescence was just a distant future vision…

The main author of the exhibition: Aneta Popiel-Machnicka
Co-operation:  Zofia Jusiak, Mariusz Milewski
Translation: Patryk Zacharzewski