Small Wonders and Little Giants: The History of Action Figures

A seventies doll made to look like Mrs. Beasley,
A Victorian soldier whose joints move quite easily,
Batman, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings,
These are a few of our favorite things.
Wonders small and smaller are on display at the History Center in this exhibit detailing the social history, growing popularity, and production of those posable, often armed-and-dangerous toys called action figures. (Most little boys we know are especially adamant about that name; “dolls” just doesn’t cut it.) Alongside many of his own famous figurines, Minneapolis artist Steve Kiwis describes his studio and profession in a videotaped interview and gives a step-by-step explanation of his process. While it seems everyone from ’N Sync to our own former governor has been cast in their own Mini-Me likeness, the exhibit also gives a refreshing nod to a time when toys weren’t powered by AAA batteries (not included, of course) but by a child’s imagination. It features an 1895 bisque doll and a 1950s Tom Mix rocking horse from the society’s collection of over 3,500 toys and dolls. MN History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, (651) 296-6126, www.mnhs.org