Forbes Museum of Tangier

Forbes Museum of Tangier was a museum founded by the American publisher of Forbes magazine, Malcolm Forbes, in Tangier, Morocco.

History

The museum was located in Malcolm Forbes' Dar al-Mandub on rue Mohammed Tazi, a 10-acre (40,000 m2) property located on the Marshan in Tangier.[1] The Dar al-Mandub was built in 1929 by Mohammed Tazi. It was bought by Malcolm Forbes in 1970.[2]

The museum had a collection of a total of 115,000 models of lead soldiers. These figures re-enacted the major battles of history; from Waterloo to Dien Bien Phû, realistically recreated with lighting and sound effects. Entire armies stood on guard in the showcases, while in the garden, 600 statuettes bear silent homage to the Battle of Three Kings.

The toy soldiers collection was curated and built by Peter and Ann Johnson.[3]

After Forbes' death in 1990, the property was put up for sale by his children and it is now owned by the government of Morocco as a residence for visiting dignitaries. Dar al-Mandub is a private residence and not open to the public. It is no longer a museum.

60,000 pieces of the toy soldiers collection were auctioned in December 1997 by Christie's in New York and South Kensington. Auctions went from $150 to $12,000 a set. It contained pieces from the figurine manufacturers Britains, C.B.G. Mignot, George Heyde, Elastolin and Lineol, Barclay and Manoil. Among the many battles reenacted, the collection also contained historic events such as the funeral cortege of JFK.[3] Total sales from the auction amounted to $700,000. The Forbes Galleries in New York City today has parts of the Tangier toy soldiers collection on display.[4]

The Forbes Museum was chosen for the villain's lair for the 15th James Bond Film The Living Daylights starring Timothy Dalton.[5]

Further reading
  • Hugo Marsh, Daniel Agnew, Toy Soldiers From The Forbes Museum of Military Miniatures. Christie's South Kensington. 18 December 1997.

References
  1. Malcolm Forbes: Tangier’s last tycoon, Roughguides.com
  2. Dar al-Mandub, Archnet.org
  3. Christa Worthington, Forbes: he had 10,000 men, Independent.co.uk, 14 December 1997
  4. Collecting Toy Soldiers, Forbes.com, 26 June 2001
  5. The Last of the Forbes Toy Soldiers, Ipower.com, 5 October 2012

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