Elda inaugurates a major exhibition of antique toys featuring unique pieces from 1920 to 1975

The Casa Grande del Jardín de la Música will host, from Thursday, December 4th until January 16th, the exhibition 'The Fair of Illusions', a display that brings together dozens of toys manufactured between 1920 and 1975. The initiative, organized by the Department of Festivities and the weekly Valle de Elda, will allow the public to enjoy iconic pieces from the Alicante toy industry (such as the brands Rico and Payá) alongside models from Germany, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.

The Councillor for Festivities, David Guardiola, accompanied by the director of Notivalle, Baldomero Giménez, and the owner of the collection, Roberto Beltrán, highlighted that the exhibition is linked to the proximity of the traditional Immaculate Fair, an event that over the years "has become a toy fair." Guardiola encouraged the public to visit the exhibition during the Christmas period and "remember how our ancestors played."

Meanwhile, Baldomero Giménez explained that "Valle de Elda has been promoting our exhibition space for some time, enhancing design and historical accuracy," and emphasized that the attendance figures for the recent exhibition on the Historic Centre (more than a thousand visitors) demonstrate the growing interest in such initiatives. "This exhibition not only showcases nostalgic objects; it also connects with the commercial history of our city and the shared memory between grandparents and grandchildren," he noted. Additionally, he highlighted the work of historian Tomás Palau, responsible for the documentation and museographic design.

The collector Roberto Beltrán detailed that the exhibition brings together a wide variety of toys, some of which are a century old. "We will be able to see pieces from the 1920s, alongside toys closer to the 1970s. Many will evoke memories for those who grew up with them, especially those manufactured by Alicante brands like Rico or Payá, although there will also be models from Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, or France," he explained. According to Beltrán, it is "an exhibition that will appeal to both the elderly and the young."

The exhibition will be open in the morning from 11:00 to 13:00 on various days in December (between the 6th and 12th, from the 14th to the 23rd, and on the 27th and 28th) and also in January (on the 3rd, 4th, and from the 10th to the 15th). In the afternoon, from 18:00 to 20:00, it can be visited on December 5th, 6th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 29th, and 30th, as well as on January 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, and 16th.