Swiss Museum of Games

The Swiss Museum of Games is located in the city of La Tour-de-Peilz, in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland.

Chateau de la Tour-de-Peilz

The Swiss Museum of Games is housed in a thirteenth-century castle, originally built for Peter II, Count of Savoy. The castle was badly damaged in 1476, during the Burgundian wars. It was bought and restored in the mid-eighteenth century and the castle was privately owned until it was purchased by the city of La Tour-de-Peilz following a public referendum in 1979.

Museum

The Swiss Museum of Games was installed in the main castle building and opened as such in 1987.

In addition to the permanent collection, which includes ancient games, early modern games, playing cards and a chess room, a number of temporary exhibitions and games-related events (conferences, educational events, games evenings, discussions and social events) are held at the museum.[1][2]

In 2015 the museum had a total of 14,724 visitors.[3]

"Veni, Vidi, Ludique"

In 2014 the Swiss Museum of Games participated in a major exhibition on the theme of games and play in association with the Roman Museum of Nyon and the Roman Museum in Vallon. The exhibition, entitled "Veni, Vidi, Ludique: Playing with Antiquity", was created under the auspices of Professor Véronique Dasen of the University of Fribourg and Dr Ulrich Schädler, Director of the Swiss Museum of Games. The exhibition ran from October 2014 until April 2015, with support from the Swiss National Fund. A special issue of the French journal Archéothéma included a number of articles on the theme of games and play to tie-in with the exhibition.

"So British!"

In 2016 the Swiss Museum of Games hosted a temporary exhibition entitled "So British!", on the subject of British games and games culture.[4] The exhibition displayed more than 200 games and objects, including an area recreating a British pub with darts and pub skittles. In addition to the exhibition, a number of events (game evenings, talks) were put on. The exhibition may be the last undertaking before the museum undergoes a major programme of refurbishment, scheduled for 2017.

Refurbishment

The Museum is due to undergo an extensive refurbishment in 2017 at an estimated cost of some CHF8m.[5]

Library

The Swiss Museum of Games houses a research library which is significant for its chess holdings, which include the library of the British chess author and researcher Ken Whyld.[6] The library also holds the papers of British chess expert and games consultant David Pritchard.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Lovric, M. (2007) Cowgirls, Cockroaches and Celebrity Lingerie: The World's Most Unusual Museums. Icon Books. Thriplow. pp. 216–218
  2. ↑ Hudson, K., Negri, M., and Nicholls, A. (1994) New Museums in Europe, 1977–1993. Mazotta. Milan. pp. 240–241.
  3. ↑ "Fréquentation de quelques musées et fondations, Vaud, 2001-2015". Statistique Vaud.
  4. ↑ Michaud, R. (2016) "Le Musée suisse du jeu prend des accents anglais" 3 Sept
  5. ↑ Boilat, C. (2015) "Le Musée suisse du jeu de La Tour-du-Peilz va être repensé" 29 Jan
  6. ↑ [http://www.kwabc.org/archive/Homepage-UK/LaTour03.htm#Lib Annual general meeting of the Ken Whyld Association in the Swiss Museum of Games and impressions of the Chess Olympiad at Turin]
  7. ↑ British Chess Variants Society (2010) "David Pritchard’s files have been prepared for transfer to the Musée Suisse du Jeu, where they will be kept in the Ken Whyld Library and made available to future researchers."

Coordinates: 46°27′10″N 6°51′17″E / 46.45268°N 6.85476°E / 46.45268; 6.85476

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