The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion is hosting an exhibit of works from New Jersey toymaker J. Chein and Company. There will be an opening reception on Friday, November 21, from 6 to 9 pm, which is free to the public and features a special visit from Santa Claus.
“A Toy Story: Seven Decades of J. Chein and Company, New Jersey Toymaker” will run through March 22.
Alan Jaffe, author of J. Chein & Co.: A Collector’s Guide to an American Toymaker, will speak at Ellarslie on Sunday, January 11, at 2 pm. Copies of his book will be available at Molly’s, the shop at Ellarslie, while the exhibit is on display. Museum members are invited to attend from 6 to 7 p.m. and the public is invited from 7 to 9 pm.
Chein family members of the Burlington, N.J., business are exhibiting their personal collections, which include their most memorable toys accompanied by pieces from the extensive collection of Georgia Marsh, one of the world’s leading collectors of Chein toys.
J. Chein and Company was founded in 1903, producing lithographed and stamped metal toys. In 1949, the company moved to Burlington under the ownership of Robert Beckelman and Irving Sachs. By 1960, the company was turning out 100,000 toys a day.
Known to collectors today for toys of such iconic figures as Popeye, Krazy Kat and Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Chein also produced holiday toys, transportation toys and banks.
Mechanical ride toys, introduced in the 1930s were especially popular, especially the Ferris Wheel.
The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion is in Cadwalader Park. For information, www.ellarslie.org or 609-989-3632.
