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February 6–7 | Ponte de Lima, Portugal

Toy Story took part in the 1st International Congress on Toys, held on February 6 and 7 in Ponte de Lima, Portugal. The event gathered academics, museum professionals, manufacturers, and collectors, creating an important forum for reflection and dialogue on toy heritage.

Our contribution included the presentation of the paper entitled “Ingenuity and Art in Tinplate Toys: When Material Speaks of Cultural Identity.” The presentation explored the material, artistic, and identity dimensions of tinplate toys, highlighting their cultural and historical significance.

The congress was part of the celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the Charter of Ponte de Lima, underscoring the importance the municipality — home to the Portuguese Toy Museum — places on the preservation and promotion of toy heritage.

Our participation proved highly positive, allowing us to strengthen existing partnerships and establish new collaborations, further reinforcing Toy Story’s commitment to research, knowledge-sharing, and the dissemination of toy heritage.

Integrated within the NOVA FCT exhibition space, the AR-PA event allowed us to highlight several of the heritage projects currently underway at NOVA FCT and to connect with numerous heritage institutions, promoting fruitful exchanges and networking. 

Click here to read the Proceedings, including the research paper "From Cans to Toys: Preserving Tinplate Historical Recycling".

Toy Story Project

Old toys, new perspectives

20th-century history told through toys: researchers analyse tinplate toys to understand social, industrial, and technological changes.