The Doll and Toy Museum of NYC is a non-profit educational museum established in 1999. Our mission is to educate the public on the importance of dolls and toys in our culture and history, through art and play. We are the only museum in New York City exclusively devoted to preserving and exhibiting dolls and toys. Marlene Hochman is the founder and director of the museum, which is governed by a board of directors and helped by a dedicated volunteer staff. The collections have been on display in many places throughout the city, since the museum does not currently have a place of its own. Partnerships enable us to display our collections in other institutions such as the Brooklyn Heights Public Library, the Bay Ridge Public Library, the South Street Seaport Museum, NY Transit Museum and Brooklyn Borough Hall. We hope to have a permanent facility of our own in the near future.

Description:
The museum’s roots began with an exhibition space in PS 32 in a small 500 square foot transportable classroom space, a few blocks from Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. After one year of success in PS 32 the museum was offered a larger classroom space inside PS 142 on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens, where the museum stayed for four years.
As the collection grew so did our need to grow and provide larger exhibitions and educational programs for the public to enjoy. We were offered a rental space in the St. Ann’s Church, in Brooklyn Heights where we set up an administrative office and a storage facility.
We have a young but rich history as our toy collection has been on display in many prominent institutions such in NYC. Through our national loan program, our toys collection has traveled to other cities too and been on display at the Habitat for Humanity in Americus, GA, Historic Society of Rockland County, NY, and in the Oak Forest Cultural Center, in Raleigh, NC. This fall our collection is being rented by the Science Station in Iowa and PA.

History:
The Doll and Toy Museum is structured as follows: Marlene Hochman founded the museum in 1999 and serves as Director; Jack Suben is an architect with Suben/ Dougherty Partnership and serves as Secretary; Ron Ries, an accountant with the Jewish Board of Family Services, serves as Treasurer; Denise Arbesu, is an executive at Citibank, as Vice President of Banking. Laurie Gallo is a Trustee. Three of the Board of Directors have been with the museum since its inception. This year we have added more Board of Directors including Barbara Vivian, Linda Feller, Harriett Roberts, and Timmie Ross who are not only dedicated volunteers at the museum but have stepped up to be Board of Directors. The museum also put into place plans to create an Associate Board. One of our new members is Zuzana Plesa.

The Doll and Toy Museum has over 10 Advisers who have close working relationships with members of the Toy Industry Association. The Doll and Toy Museum has collaborated with the following organizations in the last few years:

• Brooklyn Heights Public Library, ongoing DTM exhibition, 2004- present
• Bay Ridge Public Library, ongoing DTM exhibition, 2005-present
• NYC Donnell Library, annual exhibitions, June-Sept, 2005, 2006, 2007
• NY Transit Museum, Exhibit Sept 2006-Sept 2007
• NY Hall of Science, 2006
• 8 Members of the Brooklyn Cultural Circuit, 2006, 2007
• Toy Industry Association, annual exhibitor at Toy Fair, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• NYC Public Schools for Toy Invention Fair, Brooklyn Tech High School and PS 169, 2007

The Doll and Toy Museum has collaborated with interns and volunteers from the Parsons School of Design Cooper-Hewitt M.A. Program in the History of Decorative Arts, F.E.G.S High School Program, The Volunteer Referral Center, NY City College and Brooklyn Law School

Contact person: Marlene Hochman, Executive Director, (718) 243-0820, (email)

Address:

157 Montague Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (See a map)

Directions:

Subway to Borough Hall, 2, 3, 4, 5, R trains. Walk two blocks to Montague Street. The office is located inside the historic St. Ann's Church.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 2,3, 4, 5, R,   Walk distance (in minutes): 5