The Museum of Display Mannequins

Display mannequins represent an outstanding development in Applied Art of the 20th Century. They reflect the beauty ideals and fashion trends of their era, and as such mirror advertising and communication, gender roles, art and design, as well as economic, technological and social history. These historical models provide a fascinating snapshot of their time, for example Belle Epoque, Art Déco or New Look. Highlights of this type of commercial art include figure designs from acclaimed artists such as Rudolf Belling, Gerhard Schliepstein, Paul Scheurich, René Herbst and André Vigneau.

The international Museum and Archive of Display Mannequins is dedicated to collecting, researching and procuring every aspect of this hitherto largely ignored topic, thus bringing to life a project which is unique in Europe. The collection includes historical figures, busts and heads as well as archive material such as advertising photographs and documents from the manufacturers of the fashion display mannequins. The collection is rounded off with a library of specialized literature and magazines on window decoration. Guided tours are available for groups on request.

Our service

Loaning historical mannequins and related visual documents for special exhibitions, research and publications, expertise and valuations, lectures and workshops.

Vintage Print, historische Schaufensterdekoration eines Modehauses mit zahlreichen Mannequins, Frankreich, um 1940

A selection of photographs of historical display mannequins. The exhibits were manufactured between 1880 and 1980 in Germany, France and Italy. The whole collection includes amongst others mannequins from the following workshops and manufacturers: Heinrich Obermaier (Munich, Germany), Johann Gottwald (Vienna, Austria), Schaufensterkunst G.M.B.H. (Berlin, Germany), Haefner and Schoen (Berlin, Germany), Marcus Sommer SOMSO (Sonneberg and Coburg, Germany), Kaethe Kruse (Bad Koesen/Donauwoerth, Germany), Vitra (Weil am Rhein, Germany/Birsfelden, Switzerland), Schlaeppi (Zurich, Switzerland), Pierre Imans (Paris, France), Siégel (Paris, France), Stockman (Paris, France), Girard (Paris, France), Rosa (Milan, Italy), Adel Rootstein (London, England) and Hindsgaul (Copenhagen, Denmark).