What are the top toy museums of world?

Museums are treasure troves of history and culture. So how about taking a look at toy museums that can send us on a nostalgic trip down memory lane?

THE NATIONAL FARM TOY MUSEUM - U.S.

An ode to the farming industry, the National Farm Toy Museum in Iowa, U.S., is unique as it celebrates the spirit of farming. The history of agriculture is narrated through thousands of farm toys. The collection includes scale models, replicas, old wood-pressed lithograph farm toys and other toys based on farm equipment.

POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM - U.K

This is U.K.'s oldest toy museum. With curios and toys from the past, the Pollock's Toy Museums in central London displays over 20,000 teddy bears, dolls, games, toy theatres and so on. The museum was named after printer Benjamin Pollock. Sadly the museum shut its doors a few days ago with the owners unable to get a fresh contract on the building. Now, they are out with a fundraising appeal.

BRIGHTON TOY AND MODEL MUSEUM - U.K.

With more than 10,000 toys and models, the Brighton Toy And Model Museum in England is a major tourist attraction. Founded in 1991, one of the museum's most prized collections is the model train collection. The large operational model railway layouts and period pieces are exhibits to watch out for.

THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY- U.S.

Be it experiencing the most famous children's television series "Sesame Street' all over again or walking amidst the adventurous world of superheroes or checking out toy artefacts such as paper dolls, yo-yos, wind-up toys or teddy bears, The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, has everything to transport you to the realm of fun and frolic. It started off as a museum showcasing the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, the museum's founder. Now, it has a range of exhibits such as unique toy heritage items, vintage paper dolls, early LEGO building sets, Barbie dolls, and so on.

SHANKAR'S INTERNATIONAL DOLLS MUSEUM - INDIA

A museum established by noted political cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai, the Shankar's International Dolls Museum features a grand collection of costume dolls. Located in Children's Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, the museum has a large array of dolls collected from across the world including authentic Indian costume dolls. The Museum's collection of costume dolls was inspired by a gift. In the early fifties, Shankar received a doll as a gift from the Hungarian Ambassador. The doll was to be given away as a competition prize. But Shankar was smitten by the doll and kept it for himself after taking permission from the Ambassador. Over time, he started collecting costume dolls and holding exhibitions. But the constant travel, packing and unpacking significantly damaged the dolls over time which Shankar spoke about during an exhibition in Delhi that was visited by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi who suggested setting up a permanent museum for the dolls. And thus was born Shankars International Dolls Museum.

ST. PETERSBURG TOY MUSEUM RUSSIA

At St. Petersburg Toy Museum, Russia, toys are not just considered playthings but also works of art. Featuring a grand collection of more than 17,000 items, the museum is home to Russian and foreign games and toys that even date back centuries. The collection includes thematic toys, folk toys, artisanal toys, factory toys, and the most famous toys made in Sergiyev Posad- the matryoshka dolls, among others.

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Which is the longest opera?

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg ("The Master-Singers of Nuremberg") by Richard Wagner, is a musical drama in three acts. Musical dramas are called operas and this one is the longest opera that is commonly performed. It takes nearly four and a half hours without any breaks. It was first performed on 21 June 1868 at the National Theatre in Munich.

The plot of this opera is set in Nuremberg in the mid-16th century, when it was a free imperial city. Nuremberg was also one of the centres of the Renaissance in Northern Europe. The story revolves around the city's group of Master Singers, also known as Meistersinger, which is an association of amateur poets and musicians. These men were primarily master craftsmen of various other trades. The master singers, just like in their craft, had developed a craftsman-like approach to music-making. They developed an intricate system of rules for composing and performing songs. The opera is built on this time in history and the traditions of these master singers. One of the main characters of the opera is the cobbler-poet Hans Sachs, who was the most famous of the master-singers in that era.

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg holds a very special place in Wagner's career.

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In which country is the Cup Noodles Museum located?



Traveling around Japan, we find we spend a lot of time eating, planning what we are going to eat, learning about local foods, and well, eating some more. Planning this trip, we all knew that we wanted to learn more about that iconic Japanese food – Ramen! Luckily, just a few minutes from Tokyo station by train, you can not only learn about these famous instant noodles but make them at the Cup Noodles Museum. 



A museum and interactive soup designing experience at the Cup Noodles Museum is a must do for children of all ages!  The building is four stories high, the first floor is the ticket booth and the gift shop. The museum is only ¥500 for adults, and free for high school and younger children. But! You can also schedule your time to make-your-own Cup Noodles at the front desk, so make sure you do that! Registering is free, but you will need ¥300 for each Cup Noodles you want to make when you get there.



 



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In which Indian city has Madame Tussauds museum been set up?



Madame Tussauds Delhi is a wax museum and tourist attraction located on Regal Theatre in New Delhi, India.It is the twenty third location for the Tussauds , which was set up by sculptor Marie Tussaud.



Housed in the heritage building Regal Cinema, which shut its doors earlier this year to make way for this global attraction, the two-storeyed exhibition has been specifically designed and structured with Indians in mind. Enter, and you will be greeted by cricketers Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, along with actor Richard Gere. Walk further to meet and greet Bollywood’s best with Salman Khan riding a rickshaw to Anil Kapoor from Slumdog Millionaire conducting Kaun Banega Crorepati?



The other sections/rooms have been divided into sports, history, bhangra, music and, eventually, a party of Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities. However, the exhibition is not solely visual. There are various interactive stations, where people can find out more about the wax model and also play some games. For instance, while posing with Marilyn Monroe, you can try out wigs matching her hair and even get yourself clicked in front of a vanity mirror placed right behind. Similarly, while checking out Milkha Singh’s wax model, you can play hockey or practise some shots as if you were there on the field with him. Moreover, there is a special section where you get personalised hand sculptures done and take them home. Making sure that the museum is accessible to all, the building has been made handicap-friendly along with functional lifts installed for all floors.



 



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Johannes Vermeer’s renowned painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is housed at Mauritshuis, an art museum in which country?



The 'Girl with the Pearl Earring', also referred to as the 'Mona Lisa of the Low Countries', is one of the most famous paintings in the Netherlands. During the Dutch Golden Age, a significant shift occurred in both the technique of painting and in subject matter, particularly as secular subjects began to replace religious themes. Portraiture focused increasingly on ordinary people, like the man depicted in Rembrandt van Rijn’s Portrait of an Elderly Man. The sitter seems not to be posed, but presented in a matter-of-fact way that differs from the idealized formality of traditional portraiture. The hierarchical social structure in other European countries no longer monopolized art production in the Netherlands during this time, and as the middle class prospered, an unprecedented market for portraiture developed. Successful individuals, married couples, and civic leaders wanted likenesses to pass on to posterity.



The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue, Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis, published by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in collaboration with the Mauritshuis, The Hague. The volume guides readers through the highlights of the museum’s magnificent collection and features 35 masterpieces of portraiture, landscape, genre painting, history painting, and still life, each accompanied by text illuminating its context and significance. Curatorial essays provide an overview of the extraordinary world of the 17th century Dutch Republic, explore the history and future of the Mauritshuis building and collection, offer an in-depth look at Girl with a Pearl Earring, and chronicle fascinating conservation treatments and technical research undertaken by the museum on behalf of its treasures.



 



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Which Indian oldest museum is located in Kolkata?



Founded in 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (at the present building of the Asiatic Society, 1 Park Street, Kolkata), Indian Museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose Museum not only in the Indian subcontinent but also in the Asia-Pacific region of the world. With the foundation of Indian Museum in 1814, the Museum movement started rolling in India and through the years from then, got a new fillip and great momentum. Since then, it has so magnificently developed and culminated into the fruitful existence of more than 400 museums in the country. The movement, which was started in 1814, in fact was the beginning of a significant epoch initiating the socio-cultural and scientific achievements of the country. It is otherwise considered as the beginning of the modernity and the end of mediaeval era.



The large collection of ancient and medieval Indian artefacts include remains of the Buddhist stupa from Bharhut, the Buddha's ashes, a copy of the Lion Capital of Ashoka from an Ashoka pillar (original in the Sarnath Museum) whose four-lion symbol became the official emblem of the Republic of India, fossil skeletons of prehistoric animals, an art collection, rare antiques, and a collection of meteorites. The Indian Museum is also regarded as "the beginning of a significant epoch initiating the socio-cultural and scientific achievements of the country. It is otherwise considered as the beginning of the modernity and the end of medieval era" by UZER Places.



 



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Which city hosts the Acropolis Museum?



The Acropolis Museum is located in the historical area of Makriyianni, southeast of the Rock of the Acropolis, on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens. It is only 300 metres from the Acropolis and approximately two kilometres from Syntagma Square, the main square of the city of Athens. The Museum entrance is located at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway of Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, which constitutes the central route for the unified network of the city’s archaeological sites. The Acropolis metro station is on the east side of the Museum site.



The first museum was on the Acropolis; it was completed in 1874 and underwent a moderate expansion in the 1950s. However, successive excavations on the Acropolis uncovered many new artifacts which significantly exceeded its original capacity.



An additional motivation for the construction of a new museum was that in the past, when Greece made requests for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the United Kingdom, which acquired the items in a controversial manner, it was suggested by some British officials that Greece had no suitable location where they could be displayed. Creation of a gallery for the display of the Parthenon Marbles has been key to all recent proposals for the design of a new museum.



 



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Which museum in Paris houses Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Mona Lisa?



The Mona Lisa painting is one of the most emblematic portraits in the history of art, where is located at the Louvre. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, it joined the collections of the court of France before being added to the works on display at the Louvre Museum.



The composition technique of the painting makes it one of the most studied works in the history of art and by apprentice artists. It is highly regarded for its modern framing as a portrait that could be painted now. More subtly, optical effects are created by the positioning of the young woman’s eyes and her enigmatic smile. Some people say they feel watched by the Mona Lisa, no matter where they are standing. This anecdote demonstrates Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific and anatomical knowledge. As for the Mona Lisa’s famous smile, witness accounts say that a group of musicians played while the painter worked to keep this joyful attitude.



The background is also a textbook case. The sfumato technique is used to create perspective that merges gently.



It is undoubtedly the mystery of the Mona Lisa that has made it so famous. But is it actually Lisa who is depicted? It is reported that the person who commissioned the painting from Leonardo da Vinci was a nobleman living in Florence. Twice widowed, Francesco del Giocondo married a young woman named Lisa in 1495. It is this story that gave the little painting, measuring 30 inches x 21 inches, its name. Another theory is that the young woman in the picture is no other than a mistress of Giuliano de' Medici, ruler of the Republic of Florence. The mystery has never been solved.



The Mona Lisa became popular with the general public when it was famously stolen in 1911. The press jumped on the event: people wanted to know who could have stolen the Mona Lisa painting, why, and above all how. The painting was found, and the guilty party was an overly nationalistic Italian named Vincenzo Peruggia, who had intended to return the work to his home country.



 



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The Natural History Museum in London branched from which popular museum?



Founded in 1756 as a branch of the British Museum, the NHM became an independent institution in 1963. Since 1881, the museum is housed in an imposing Victorian-style building designed by English architect Alfred Waterhouse.

An extension designed by the Danish firm C.F. Møller, the Darwin Centre, was opened in 2009.

Together with the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, the HNM is one of the three major museums located on Exhibition Road, in South Kensington, one of the most renowned cultural districts in Europe.



The program of events and activities of the NHM features temporary exhibitions, special events, guided tours, workshops, and educational programs. The museum includes three shops, four cafes, a grill restaurant, and a free picnic area.

Most of the Natural History Museum is accessible to people with disabilities; a limited number of wheelchairs are available, free of charge.



High above the Museum’s main attractions there's another decorative feature that's easy to miss, unless you know where to look.



The building's gallery ceilings are adorned with intricate tiles displaying a vast array of plants from all over the world, with Hintze Hall's ceiling alone covered with 162 individual panels.



These beautifully designed tiles reflect an era when exotic plant specimens flooded into Britain, sparking public interest in botany and horticulture.



 



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Which Indian city hosts both a kite and a utensils museum?



Ahmedabad is a city of museums — kite museum, a museum of utensils, a world-class textile museum, toy museum and more. The museum that opened to the public last year, is just a 100 metres away from the famed Calico Museum of Textiles in Shahibaug.



At first, the architecture of this colonial structure draws you in, before the masterpieces inside take over.



The pathway, flanked by well-landscaped lush green lawns and a two-tier fountain, leads you to the 113-year-old mansion, which was once home to the Lalbhai family. Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum is one of the few examples of a house turned into a museum, in the country.



Today, the three buildings in the complex display a collection of traditional and folk art from various schools — Persian, Mughal, Rajput, Pahari and modern and contemporary Indian art.



There is also a small amphitheatre to screen films and intimate performances.



While a part of the collection — particularly manuscripts, archival documents — went to the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, an engaging narrative of Indian art’s journey unfolds at Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum. It’s impossible to ignore one of the oldest versions of the ‘Khamsa of Nizami’. This is the illustrated khamsa or the five poems by the 12th-Century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi.



The visitor can flip through the pages of the manuscript on an iPad. Another rare work in the section is 13 episodes (watercolour, 1920) of the Ramayana painted by Nandalal Bose. You can spend hours trying to read postcards sent by students to teachers in Santiniketan from 1913-1940.



 



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