Those who remember the 1934 classic Laurel and Hardy film, "Babes in Toyland", will remember the wonderful "March of the Wooden Soldiers" tune that accompanied the army of stiff, giant toy soldiers as they came to life.  Stan Laurel and

Paul Decker is the guest curator for the display of  his 250+ toy soldier  collection, now on exhibit at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center.

Oliver Hardy, playing the characters Stanley Dum and Ollie Dee, bring a score of wooden soldiers to life to drive the bad folks back into the swamp bringing an eventual happy ending to the story.

            It was many a young persons' first introduction into the world of toy soldiers.

            But, the history of toy soldiers goes far beyond the recollection of a movie that once graced big and little screens during the holiday season.

            Toy soldiers are more than toys; they are objects of history dating back to about 2000 BC and are still actively collected, and more importantly, played with by young ones who haven't graduated to video games yet.

            That history and a wonderful display of toy soldiers will greet you at an exhibit currently running at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center in Pennsburg.  The interpretive text, photos, and augmenting items bring the story of the scene to each

A French Band, circa 1928.

visitor. This exhibit features more than 250 toy soldiers representing different countries and time periods.  The exhibit will be on view until February 28, 2023.

            Throughout Paul Decker's more than four decades of living in the Upper Perkiomen Valley, he has served the community in a variety of positions from police officer to constable, and more. Currently he serves as Red Hill Borough's Director of Historical information, 

            For more than 30 years he has grown his toy soldier collection and created dioramas depicting parade and battle scenes, along with casual settings, that bring a strong identifying presence to his displays.

            Paul tells the story of how the collection began and grew with a passion that adds to the meaning of it.  His 19 hours spent preparing the exhibit speaks to the meticulousness he shares with the viewer.

             Decker wrote about the beginnings of what would be a longtime dedication to his efforts.  "My small collection of model soldiers grew without any particular goal or sense of urgency. My interest began as a boy seeing those wonderful displays of Britain Toy Soldiers at Wanamaker's Department Store in Philadelphia during the late 1940s to

Scene from 1911 Imperial Reception in Delhi, India hon- oring the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary of Great Britain, featured ae the Bikaner Camel Corps  with the Hunting Cheetahs of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

mid-1950s at Christmastime. Of course, in those days, you never asked for such impractical and expensive toys for Christmas.

            "Then one day in 1972, on a lunch break, I stopped in a little Toy Shop in Wayne, PA and saw a set of three Britain soldiers for sale: a Scots Guard, a Yeoman of the Guards, and an unmounted Life Guard. I finally owned my first collectable British soldiers such as I had first seen some 25 years earlier. The next day I went back to the Toy Shop and bought the remaining inventory of six more sets, including the display box.

            "Model soldiers were still far too expensive and impractical to indulge myself in at that time while raising a family, paying a mortgage and making        car payments.  Soon I tried my hand at buying a few unfinished castings, assembling and hand painting them and also building small dioramas.  In the meanwhile, I made do reading about model soldiers and finding out and befriending some serious model soldier builders and collectors. I never became an avid builder or collector myself, but have remained a student and casual collector."

            We never seem to outgrow a fondness for toys.  This exhibit will bring back memories and more importantly, share the history of something that was probably a part of your own history.

            The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 a.m.to 4 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 215-679-3103 or email info@schwenkfelder.org, or visit the website at www.schwenkfelder.org.