This post is a little different from what we normally post, but I’m definitely a fan of a documentary photography project. So, when I saw a couple of my friends post this on Facebook last week, I really wanted to share it.
When Gabriele Galimberti decided to photograph children from around the world with their toys he discovered, as he imagined, that children “just want to play”. What he found more interesting was how they played…
“The richest children were more possessive. At the beginning, they wouldn’t want me to touch their toys, and I would need more time before they would let me play with them. In poor countries, it was much easier. Even if they only had two or three toys, they didn’t really care. In Africa, the kids would mostly play with their friends outside.”
Naya. Managua, Nicaragua
Pavel. Kiev, Ucraina
Julia. Tirana, Albania
Chiwa. Mchinji, Malawi
Tyra. Stockholm, Sweden
Parents’ ambitions
Another interesting discovery was how the toys on display revealed the hopes and ambitions of the parents that had bought them. For example, Ralf’s Latvian mother who drove a taxi for a living, showered her son with miniature cars. Whereas Alessia, the daughter of an Italian farmer, proudly displayed her plastic rakes, hoes and spades…
Ralf. Riga, Latvia
Alessia. Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Enea. Boulder, Colorado
Puput. Bali, Indonesia
Maudy. Kalulushi, Zambia
Awesome images: Gabriele Galimberti via Featureshoot
Gabriele took comfort in finding that, computer games aside, toys haven’t actually changed that much over the span of three decades. “I’d often find the kind of toys I used to have. It was nice to go back to my childhood somehow.”
Your children & toys
If my parents had photographed me as a child with my toys I imagine I’d be surrounded be Playmobil, Sylvanian Families and Barbie dolls. I’d love to see that shot now and, with that in mind, I think this makes an interesting documentary project to do with your own children over the years :)
Debs
Tags: children, classic toys, kids, play, playtime, toys
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