Elegant ladies of the first half of the eighteenth century who replicate the clothing of court bridesmaids but also a doll 'for adults', Bild Lilli (Germany, 1954) and Barbie number 1 (USA, 1959).
And again the Dwarfs of Snow White (Vittorio Podrecca, Italy, 1940s), a Pulcinella of an unknown manufacturer, the automatons in the shop window, Hitler's Mercedes to finish with a 'Pinocchio-Balilla'.
These are some of the approximately one thousand pieces of the '
Fiera dei toys - Ancient toy exhibition
' inaugurated in Naples (open until 30 January) in the headquarters of the State Archives, which are part of the collection (about 5 thousand toys for a total of 10 thousand pieces ) by the Neapolitan 'toyologist' Vincenzo Capuano.
Toys of all types and those offered by the exhibition dating back even two centuries ago.
Eight thematic areas: Dolls;
the Automatons;
Board Games;
the Theaters;
the Puppets and Characters;
Wooden Toys;
Tin Toys;
the Toys of War.
"Toys tell stories, they are almost as important testimony as documents" explained the director of the State Archives, Candida Carrino who promoted the event also underlining the desire to attract a wider public.
And Vincenzo Capuano during the meeting - which was also attended by Professor Michele Rak and the archival and bibliographic superintendent of Campania, Gabriel Capone - added: "Toys make us understand genres, ideologies, materials. Without forgetting that the first Electronic development has been accomplished in the gaming world".
Capuano is also thinking about the creation of a foundation to preserve and transmit his heritage, his museum now located in a family warehouse: "I dedicate the museum to the gypsy boy Ernst Lossa, killed by the Nazis at the age of 14 with a lethal injection".