London, May 18th-25th 2007

What’s a blog good for if you can’t present a load of note-form memories. People: Julia and Santi, Christabel, Places: Brixton- market and jamaican CD shop.

Soho- Bookshop Foyles, Tate, Rave Photo Exhibition, Strawberries and rasberries from the street stall, V&A was crap, Second Tate with The Splash painting David Hockney and orange pyramid free to take. School kids took a handful. “Don’t do that” exhibition with my favourite Delta

Note to self – the Tate Modern

Fiona Rae – Night Vision, 1998. Alexander Calder – Antennae with red and blue dots 1960 Mobile at Moma NY. Roll Deep – English Rap/MC http://www.tatetracks.org.uk Phillip Guston (comic-like drawings), Maria Kontis Aussie pasterl realism. Vija Celmins, Galaxy #1 (Graphite!), Jean Arp c1930, Henry Moore, 3 Points 1939. Hans Bellmar, the Doll 1937-38 Early messed up doll pieces. Constatin Brancusi, Fish 1926, Naum Gabo, Russion Constructavist, Sculpture for airport. Transformer sculpture Umberto Boccioni 1913.

V&A Children’s Museum Review

The V&A Children’s Museum is more than just a space for children to play. It has an amazing toy collection which occupies much of the space- much to the delight of visiting parents. I especially enjoyed looking at the 1970’s toys. I discovered that Mary Quant designed a doll named Daisey which was available in the UK around 1977. My favourite overall toy was an English butcher set. The whole thing was carved out of wood: the butcher, the shop and the hanging meat carcasses. What more could you hope for in a toy!

My other favourite toy museums:

Japan Toys Museum in Taito-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.  (Currently no discoverable website, but there is a good description on QuirkyJapan.) Highlights  include a historical collection of electronic games including a seldom seen Nintendo Game ‘n Watch called “Vermin”.  The extent of the gameplay includes whacking rats on the head with a stick.

Japan Toy Museum in Himeji. Highlights include a comprehensive international toy collection from many eras, as well as extensive collection of Japanese traditional toys.

Visit Snippets homepage.

Random notes to self about toys…Penguin Fridge, Barbie Fridge, Wooden Building Blocks, Aardvarks on stick, Space Hopper 1970’s, Strawberry Shortcake by Palitoy, Schmuck aus Silberdraht (drakt?) 70-80 German Jewellery making set, Play+ arredi per l’infanzia http://www.studiouk.net, Toy Butcher and all meat cuts in wood 1800’s, Egg- Soft and hard moulded Plastic, Carving Wood, Material, The History of Toys: From Spinning Tops to Robots by Deborah Jaffe