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It’s hard to believe with all the new technology that kids have these days, that at one point in history kids would’ve simply played with a stick and a rope. Add some imagination and those two simple objects could become anything. Until relatively recently, the toy industry in America was pretty much non-existent. Germany was producing kids’ toys, but here in our country we didn’t have much for kids that was affordable for most families. That is until the late 1880s when Samuel Dyke, a newspaper owner in Akron, Ohio, came up with the idea to start mass producing clay marbles. It was a toy that was not only cheap to make, but affordable for kids. With some help, Samuel Dyke formed the The American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company in Akron, which became the largest toy industry in America during the 19th century.
As a way to recognize the toy industry, The American Toy Marble Museum was built in Akron to share its unique history. And soon many items from The American Toy Marble Museum will be on display here in Toledo.
The American Toy Marble Museum
Keith Marok, a local glassblower who has a passion for marbles, is working on creating a community gallery which will be located in the lobby of the Davis building downtown. The gallery will feature work from local glass and ceramic artists while also offering demonstrations, workshops with hands-on experience, and various events highlighting art and creativity. Marok will be also establishing permanent exhibits within the gallery featuring marbles from The American Toy Marble Museum.
The American Toy Marble Museum holds the largest archives featuring the history of the global toy industry and also contains the largest non-profit toy marble collection along with thousands of historical documents. However, due to rising costs and the financial burden Covid brought, the museum made the difficult decision a few years ago to shut down the physical location in Akron and move the pieces into storage. Those pieces are getting a new chance in the spotlight with the exhibit being established here in Toledo and will, according to Marok, “feature an extensive collection of marbles illustrating their history, evolution, and cultural significance.”
The past couple of years, Marok has been gaining interest in this upcoming exhibit through various events that he has created in the community such as exhibits at the Toledo Botanical Gardens, a marble run in downtown Toledo that consisted of allowing the public to engineer and build tracks for the 45,000 marbles brought in for the activity, and library demonstrations.
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“We’ve been raising popularity little by little over the past two years,” said Marok, who further explained that similar events are still taking place in Akron as it is the original home of The American Toy Marble Museum.
Sponsoring the museum
The gallery is free of charge thanks to the generous donation of sponsors, and the hope is that those who come to visit will leave with a better appreciation for the art. Marok is looking for those interested in helping sponsor the gallery and exhibit to ensure this art space can stay free of charge. Special gifts and service for sponsors at the $600 level include a custom glass marble handmade by glass artists, recognition in the exhibit’s promotional materials including brochures and press releases, and exclusive invitations to VIP events featuring guided tours of the exhibit and the history behind the pieces. Those interested in sponsoring can reach out here – https://square.link/u/iDxpPJbG.
While the gallery and exhibit are not opened yet, the hope is that they will be open sometime this winter. The space will be fully insured at the start of the year, and Marok and his team will be working to start moving pieces from Akron to Toledo, constructing the space, and curating it to tell the stories of the displays presented. The community gallery will be located in the Davis Building at 151 N. Michigan Street.
