Project: Games and Toys Survey & Rehousing
By: Shaoyi Qian and Yungjin Shin
Owner: Morgan Library & Museum, Printed Books and Bindings
Reba F. Snyder, Paper Conservator
Frank Trujillo, Book Conservator
Jesse R. Erickson, Curator of Printed Books and Bindings
The games and toys collection at the Morgan, part of the Printed Books collection, spans several sub-collections, including Early Children’s Book, Julia P. Wightman, and Houghton Collections. The collection features a diverse array of 2D and 3D items such as board games, building blocks, cards, paper dolls, peepshows, toy theaters, and mechanical toys, with most originating from 19th-century Europe and America.
The survey assessed the safety and housing of the games and toys collection, which is scattered across various sub-collections without clear categorization or a designated storage area. Inaccurate or incomplete cataloging in TMS complicated locating items, and many were found to be stored inefficiently or in unsafe conditions, emphasizing the need for better preservation practices. Housing recommendations were made to improve preservation, accessibility, and storage efficiency, with selected groups like paper dolls and peepshows rehoused and treated as necessary.
A master list of 209 items was compiled based on the catalog, though it is not exhaustive. A stratified random sample survey was conducted using Google survey form, covering each type of items in the collection. 18 different categories were identified.
The paper doll group included items with figures (mostly human) and separate, changeable parts (mostly clothes) made from paper. The search yielded 30 paper dolls in the collection. These paper dolls vary in form but can be categorized into three major types for ease of group housing: standalone paper dolls, paper dolls in books, and oversized paper dolls.
The old housings varied widely, ranging from no enclosures to decorative housings created by Julia P. Wightman, as well as fragile original boxes and slipcases. While a few items were already housed in archival pamphlet binders, most required improved interior and exterior housings. Due to their flat and relatively small format, the items could be efficiently group-housed based on size.
Each item was placed in individual enclosures, ensuring that small cutouts were securely stored. Most paper dolls were housed in four-flap wrappers and placed in document boxes with dividers and labels to organize items by accession number. Individual cutout pieces were kept in Mylar L-sleeves with pockets, housing matching pairs together. Oversized paper dolls were stored vertically on oversized shelves.
