A Century of Royal Doulton Character & Toby Jugs.
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Toby & Character Jugs of the 20th Century.
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DESCRIPTION
What will you find in the museum?
The American Toby Jug Museum is home to more than (6,700) Toby and Character jugs, and related (derivatives) from around the globe. The collection spans the Centuries and feature(s) characters representing the times (in which) they were made, from the oldest dating back to the 1760’s to the most recent ones still in production. It is the largest collection in the world, and is on display and open to the public at The American Toby Jug Museum in Evanston, Ill.
The Museum was founded by Stephen Mullins, who began collecting more than 60 years ago when he was just 13 years old. This was the beginning of a lifetime passion of learning about and collecting Toby and Character Jugs.
His collection resided in his home until 1985, when he moved 800 pieces to his office in downtown Chicago and eventually to the British Collectibles Shop in Evanston, Ill., when his pieces numbered 1,500.
In the fall of 2005, British Collectibles moved and the American Toby Jug Museum opened its own space. It now features (96) cabinets in a 4,000 square-foot museum setting and is arranged and displayed according to time period, manufacturer and category, such as military, political, holiday and advertising mugs. It also hosts the world’s largest Toby Jug, which stands at (39") high.
Mullins continues to seek new pieces to add to the museum, scouring the Internet and relying on scouts in England, France and other parts of the world. He is considered the worldwide expert on Toby and Character Jugs, answering queries from around the globe. He and a colleague have written the definitive book and price guide on 20th century Toby and Character Jugs and (have just completed a new volume,) "A Century of Royal Doulton Character and Toby Jugs."
The museum also has commissioned a number of jugs, the latest being John F. Kennedy from Royal Doulton in 2007.
The museum offers free tours, by appointment, for persons of all ages, from school groups to seniors, as well as individuals interested in seeing the collection. Mullins and other experts also offer free lectures on the topic. For more information, call 1-877-TOBYMUSeum (877-862-9687).
