The exhibition “Toys of Tin” will make known from the 7th of July, at the Museu de Portimão, pieces made in Portugal that marked the childhood of several generations. Scooters, tricycles, cars, trucks, trains, planes, stoves, sewing machines, irons, buckets and beach shovels, all made with tinplate, are some of the objects that will be part of the exhibition.
This collection of toys has been collected over the years by Carlos Anjos, from the “Can the Can” restaurant in Lisbon. The collector accepted the challenge of the Portimão Museum and brought his “treasures” to the Algarve, where they can be seen until the 2nd of September.
Toys in cans started to be built in Portugal in the beginning of the XNUMXth century, by the artisan José Augusto Júnior “JAJ.
This resulted in pieces that were «a milestone in the experience of generations between the 20s and 60s (XNUMXth century)» and that survived «the oblivion and arrival of plastic».
«With the 2nd World War, tinplate began to become scarce giving rise to the demand for this raw material, especially in the northern region, in Alfena and later in Gondomar and Ermesinde, in Matosinhos canneries, in plate and plate lithographs. scrap, reusing the leftovers and cans already used, in order to continue the manufacture of toys», described the Câmara de Portimão.
And considering that in many of these toys cans of oil and sardines were used, «it makes sense that these memories are now shared in a space that was once a canning factory».
Until the 31st of July, the exhibition can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm, and on Tuesday, from 14:30 pm to 18:00 pm. During the special summer hours, between August 1st and August 31st, the exhibition is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 15:00 pm to 23:00 pm, and on Tuesday, between 19:30 pm and 23:00 pm.
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