As Christmas approaches, thoughts turn to festive traditions and the toys topping children’s letters to Santa. To celebrate the season, Newry & Mourne Museum has unveiled a nostalgic display of toys from times gone by - each with its own story to tell.
Did you ever play Buckaroo? The classic game where players carefully stack items on a spring-loaded mule without making it buck? If so, do you remember the mule’s colour? On show is an original 1970 edition featuring a white mule - later versions switched to a brown bucking bronco!
Another highlight is the Magic Robot quiz game from the 1950s, produced by Merit (J&L Randall Ltd). This ingenious educational toy used a hidden magnetic mechanism to make the robot point to the correct answers, a clever nod to the robot craze sweeping popular culture at the time. Speaking of robots, the Museum also boasts a rare example of the first Dalek toy, made by Louis Marx & Co in 1965. This friction-drive model was inspired by the BBC’s Doctor Who serial “The Daleks” (1963), which sparked the phenomenon known as “Dalekmania.”
Continuing the sci-fi theme, visitors can marvel at the Flashy Flickers Gun featuring The Phantom, also produced by Louis Marx in 1965. Shaped like a machine gun, this battery-powered projector displayed images from a film roll loaded at the top, an early fusion of toys and technology.
The display also reaches back to the 1890s with a bisque-headed musical marotte doll. These curious, disembodied heads mounted on sticks trace their origins to the jester’s staff. By the 18th and 19th centuries, marottes had evolved into musical amusements for adults and children, often carried at masked balls as whimsical “party fancies.”
Fast-forward to the swinging ’60s and you’ll find a Sindy doll, alongside a cheeky clone cashing in on her popularity - proof that counterfeit goods are nothing new! Homemade treasures also feature, including a charming toy piano and a Humpty Dumpty doll from the 1970s, possibly inspired by the beloved character from BBC’s Play School.
Bringing us closer to the modern era, the 1980s section showcases tech-driven favourites like Speak & Maths, an electronic learning toy by Texas Instruments, and a Nintendo Game & Watch handheld console. This portable device adapted the arcade hit Donkey Kong and introduced the four-way directional pad - a design that revolutionised gaming.
And for a festive twist, keep an eye out for our seasonal trail throughout the museum galleries. Some mischievous toys have escaped! Can you and your family find them all?
