The museum’s art collection has been built up over a long period. The first work – a portrait said to represent Nils Dacke – was donated as early as 1794. The collection has grown through donations and purchases. Over the years, the museum has focused on art by artists with links to Småland.
The exhibition Playful wants to tell you about the wooden toys, the people who created them, and the places where it all happened. The toy manufacturers in Småland were once numerous and prosperous. The conditions were good, with the availability of lumber and the many waterways that made it possible to establish factories.
Småland Museum, Swedens oldest provincial museum, emerged in the 19th century. Much happened during the dynamic 19th century, and only a limited part can therefore be shown. Because of this, the museum’s halls and storehouse have gradually filled up with traces of the past.
At the turn of the 19th/20th century, Växjö was a small town with 7365 inhabitants. The cathedral, schools and its function as the administrative centre for Kronoberg County gave the town its character. Commerce and craft dominated industry, and, other than a matchstick factory, a mechanical workshop and a brewery, there were no large industries in Växjö.
During the early Renaissance, learned and influential people began to take an interest in and collect ancient coins. The coins were often the only images one had of the great leaders and rulers of ancient times, and therefore the coins were also used when teaching history. The coins also provided knowledge and illustrated material in subjects such as art, geography, and history.
