Hidden treasures in the BRIO toy archive
A group of volunteers and lovers of old classic wooden BRIO toys is now working together with full time employeer to organise the until know hidden germs in the BRIO Lekoseum foundation´s archive. And since the project started in May 2021 they have already found unexpected treasures .....
The BRIO archive project aims to be an arena to discuss the heritage of Swedish toy production, from the beginning in 1884 until today. The BRIO archive and museum offer a unique place, open to the public, where we can show and tell the story of develoment and design of pedagogic toys for children in a playful and interesting way. The project makes it possible to show the impact the success of the BRIO company had on the small village of Osby, in Sweden as well as internationally. The archive project connects the community and bring the important cultural heritage in the region to life by sharing unique stories and memories, all connected by the love of BRIO toys.
Hidden treasures in the BRIO toy archive
A group of vounteers and lovers of old classic wooden BRIO toys is now working on organising BRIO's extensive archive. Full time employees Rami Iskif and Saffana Krayem take photos, find and write specific data in order to digitalize the collection. The caretakers build shelves to help with the organising. BRIO Veterans are gladly contributing with their extensive historical knowledge. Heading the archive project is the Museum Director Ann Häljesgård and Project Manager Kerstin Ingelmark.
And since the project started in May 2021 they have already found unexpected treasures ...
In a cardboard box wrapped in paper lay some beautiful dolls. And not just any dolls. It is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in original design by Walt Disney. These unique dolls are real treasures.
- We guess they are made in the late 30s early 40s, says Kerstin Ingelmark, herself totally enchanted with the dwarf Grumpy in original.
The BRIO Lekoseum foundation, running the toy museum in Osby in the south of Sweden, does not know how much the collection might be worth, only that the find is unexpected and remarkable, so probably also expensive. Exciting and a bit mysterious. Probably many more treasures will be found during the work, so the archiving group has got off to a great start and hopefully the ongoing project will give more answers.
BRIO started in 1884 and there are wooden toys from 1907 and onwards neatly lined up on the shelves in archive. There are also Barbie dolls from the beginning of the 60s, original games from ALGA, Märklin train from the early 30s, games from Sega and Dreamcast. All have now been given their special place as the archive is slowly starting to become more in order. But still, it's just the beginning. The project will take several years.
Four copies of each toy from the same edition are kept and stored. Rami Iskif and Saffana Krayem, both with a background from Syria, are busy photographing the toys and finding information in old catalogs to inventory, document and digitalize. A real detective work that must be done with accuracy and patience. Both find the tasks interesting and a way to learn more about Swedish history.
Rami Iskif photographs an abacus of the Brio brand, of course, which must also be documented from all perspectives.
It's a jumble of rooms in Brio's archive premises. In one of the rooms we find Brio Veteran Sven-Erik Nilsson with no less than 25 years in the company's service. He shows a Brio-made cart.
- See here how the product was developed. At first glance, they may look the same, but if you look at the hub, you see that they are far from the same. The product was developed over several years.
- On one of the carts, the hubs were hollow, but it became dangerous for small fingers. Therefore, later carts were made with whole hubs.
Unique source
- The Brio Archive can now become a unique source being saved for the future generation of toy lovers, says Ann Häljesgård
- Not only for the researchers and toy collectors of the future, but mostly for the general public to learn more about history and development of designed educational toys.
And even today, some of BRIO´s traditional toys are newly manufactured, for example the dog Sampo, which happily waves its tail when you pull on the durable threads.
Nostalgia really flows in the premises. Many people get a small tear in the corner of their eye when they see the old toy faithful servants who over the years have delighted so many generations of children and adults with that part.
The BRIO archive project aims to be an arena to discuss the heritage of Swedish toy production, from the beginning in 1884 until today. The BRIO archive and museum offer a unique place, open to the public, where we can show and tell the story of develoment and design of pedagogic toys for children in a playful and interesting way. The project makes it possible to show the impact the success of the BRIO company had on the small village of Osby, in Sweden as well as internationally. The archive project connects the community and bring the important cultural heritage in the region to life by sharing unique stories and memories, all connected by the love of BRIO toys.