Lee's Legendary Marbles and Collectables is a museum in York, Nebraska.[1] The museum specializes in displaying, storing and sometimes selling parts of a toy marble collection Lee Batterton amassed over 70 years.[2] In 2023, it was officially recognized as the World's Largest Collection of Marbles.[3]
 | |
| Established | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Location | York, Nebraska |
| Type | Art, Collectables, and Antique museum |
| Founder | Lee Batterton |
History
editThe museum was founded in 2001 by Lee Batterton, who began collecting marbles in 1954[3] in the United States and later continued while living in Germany.[4] He was raised in Oklahoma where his collection began, but moved to Germany for his work as a grain elevator repairman.[4] Germany was the first country to create a way of mass-producing marbles, so German marbles are sought after by collectors.[5] [6] Marble production in America began in Akron, Ohio, in 1884, and became mass-produced in the same place in 1900[7] with the help of Samuel Dyke.[8] Collecting marbles continued to rise in popularity throughout America after the turn of the 20th century.[9] An article written in 1936 about marbles in America mentions the popularity among children of collecting them, an early documentation of the practice.[10]
Lee was born on April 18, 1933, and died on March 8, 2024, in York, Nebraska.[11] He created the museum on recommendation of a fellow marble-collecting friend in 2001.[12]
Collection
editLee's varied collection of marbles has been recognized as the World's Largest Collection of Marbles by the World Record Academy, consisting of over 700,000 marbles.[3] Many of the marbles housed in the museum are kept in display cases,[4] but Lee claims that when he began collecting marbles he would store them in jars.[13] Many of the less valuable marbles are still kept in large glass jars at the museum today.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Lee's Legendary Marbles and Collectables". VisitNebraska.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ "LeesMarbleMuseum". Etsy. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ a b c "World's Largest Collection of Marbles: world record in York, Nebraska". www.worldrecordacademy.org. 2023-07-11. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ a b c "Legendary Lee Batterton, the 89-year-old man with a million marbles". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ "Marble (toy)", Wikipedia, 2024-03-06, retrieved 2024-03-18
- ^ Miller-Wilson, Kate. "Most Valuable Vintage Collector Marbles: From Toys to Treasure". LoveToKnow. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ Comeaux, Malcolm (2011). ""Caniques": Marbles and Marble Games As Played In South Louisiana At Mid-Twentieth Century". Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association. 52 (3): 324–356. ISSN 0024-6816. JSTOR 23074708.
- ^ Staff, Antique Trader (2018-03-03). "Once Upon A Time In Akron: Marbles make U.S. toy history". Antique Trader. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ Cohill, Michael C. (January 1, 2001). Robinson, Carol L. (ed.). A Spin on the Past. Hounding Productions (published 2001). ISBN 978-0840002150.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Harold Lloyd (1893–1971), famous silent film star comedian, stuntman, and marble collector". Marble Connection. 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Lee Batterton Obituary (1933–2024) – York, NE – York News-Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Lee Batterton Obituary (1933–2024) – York, NE – York News-Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ Cradick, Joanie (April 6, 2008). "York Marble Museum Owner Still Finds WInners". Lincoln Journal Star.
- ^ "Lee's Legendary Marbles – York Nebraska". Nebraska Traveler. Retrieved 2024-04-07.