Toy Story

Name: Connecting Portugal’s Industrial Past and Future Through Tinplate Toy Heritage

Team: Isabel Tissot (PI, NOVA FCT), Maria Fernanda Rollo  (co-PI, NOVA FCSH), Marta Manso, Paula Urze, Tiago Silva, Filipa Caetano and Jéssica Ribeiro (NOVA FCT).

Starting date: 26/05/2025

Duration: 12 months (end date on 01/06/2026)

Scientific Areas: Conservation, Heritage

Project webpage: https://sites.google.com/fct.unl.pt/toystory/home

 

This work intents to explore tinplate toys produced in Portugal between 1920 and 1960, analysing them as both cultural and material artefacts. These toys reflect the industrial, technological, and social dynamics of the time, including gender roles and educational approaches. Despite the significance of the Portuguese toy industry—known for creatively reusing materials and adapting international techniques—its history remains underexplored.

The interdisciplinary team brings together conservation, history, sociology, physics, and engineering to provide insights on preservation, industrial context, socio-cultural impact, and sustainable innovation. By connecting materials, production methods, aesthetics, and societal context, Toy Story will reveal the role of toys in inspiring sustainability, fostering creativity, and enriching our understanding of material culture.

The ToyStory team also includes 3 Master’s Students, that foster articulation between teaching and research and strengthen the interdisciplinary networks planned for the project. Students are:

  • Ângela Martins
    • Thesis Project “Revestimentos decorativos de brinquedos em folha de flandres: estudo técnico, material e de conservação de brinquedos portugueses (1920-1960)”, from Master’s in Conservation and Restoration (NOVA FCT)
    • Supervisors: Isabel Tissot (NOVA FCT) and Marta Manso (NOVA FCT)
  • Leonor Rodrigues
    • Thesis Project “Optimização de técnicas de raios X para a caracterização de brinquedos em folha de flandres”, from Master’s in Engineering Physics (FCUL)
    • Supervisors: Luís Peralta (FCUL) and Marta Manso (NOVA FCT)
  • Natacha Jesus
    • Thesis Project “Conservar o movimento: uma ferramenta para a classificação e conservação de brinquedos históricos a partir do estudo dos seus mecanismos”, from Master’s in Conservation and Restoration (NOVA FCT)
    • Supervisors: Isabel Tissot (NOVA FCT) e Tiago Silva (NOVA FCT)