The MMSI is a an organization based in the Chicago area dedicated to the art of painting and sculpting military and fantasy miniatures and toy soldiers as well as collecting these scale works of miniature art. We hold a show (not a competition, but a "juried exhibition") each year in October. There are also monthly meetings that deal with a wide variety of subjects held on the first first Friday of the month, except for a break during the summer. We do host summer get-togethers, however--also ask about joining us at breakfast on Mondays or Fridays!--as well as an annual Holiday party during the Christmas season. We publish a quarterly journal called The Scabbard that includes articles on history and miniature art, and electronic subscriptions are free.
OUR HISTORY
The Military Miniature Society of Illinois was founded in 1952 by five toy soldier collectors and figure converters. Among the founders was J. Edward Jones, a prominent manufacturer of hollow-cast toy soldiers, which are much in-demand among collectors today. The club slowly expanded during the next 10 years, totaling about 35 members by 1962. Meetings were held in members' homes throughout the Chicago area. A larger percentage of members lived in the northern suburbs, so when the number of members exceeded the feasibility of meeting in members' homes, a central meeting place in downtown Evanston was set up, and the MMSI began another period of expansion.
In 1968, the MMSI took a quantum leap forward and began publishing a monthly journal called The Scabbard. Actually, it was a re-introduction of a journal, since Mr. Jones tried to publish the original Scabbard in 1953-1954, but only five issues were printed before that version of the journal folded. A monthly journal brings people together, and when The Scabbard was relaunched, the membership expanded again, gaining enthusiasts from across the country, now that they connect with the local members
Shep Paine, Show Chair 1975-1989
David & Lee Peschke, Show Chairs 1990 - 2012
The membership continued to grow as the interest in the military miniature hobby began to blossom in the '70s. The MMSI had to move to several different venues to accommodate the larger number of members attending the meetings. After a period of years, a suitable meeting place was discovered at Oakton Community College, and the MMSI found a good home, first at the Skokie campus and then at the DesPlaines campus. As of February 2023, the MMSI has been meeting at the Morton Grove Civic Center in Morton Grove, IL.
The next milestone for the Society came in 1975 when the very first "Chicago Show" was held in a small hall at the Park Ridge VFW hall. The show lasted two years at the hall until it outgrew the exhibit and vendor space. A move was in order, and for the next seven or eight years, the Chicago Show was held at the Serbian Hall across the Kennedy Expressway from the VFW hall. Then, due to increased costs, the show was forced to move again, this time to the brand new Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumburg, IL, where the Chicago Show found a home for the next decade. This was the first time that a show was held in the same location as the hotel, thereby eliminating the need for transportation for out of town guests and providing a closer, friendlier atmosphere. The MMSI moved to Oak Brook, IL at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in 1995; then to Schaumburg again at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg hotel 15 years later, where the show is held today.
The Society meets every month during the year (except for a break in the summer), usually on the first Friday night. Programs and theme nights are planned throughout the year, with general conversation, critiques, how-to's, and comradeship.
Today's "military miniature" goes well beyond their beginning as toy soldiers or plastic model vehicles, airplanes, and ships. This world in miniature ranges from historical subjects and events happening in our world today to fantasy topics that express the artists' creative talents. No longer regarded as just toys, these miniature works of art are highly valued by those who appreciate the subject and especially the artists who have created the wide variety of pieces seen today, which encompass individual pieces, vignettes, and dioramas.
Pat Vess, current show chairman
John VanDerMuelen, co-chair 2013-14
The first Chicago show was held in 1975 at the VFW Hall in Park Ridge
The show moved to the American Serbian Hall in 1977, and it was held there through 1982
The show moved to the Hyatt Regency in Schaumburg from 1983 through 1994
The show took place at the Hyatt Regency in Oak Brook from 1995 through 2005
Since then, the show has been based at the Chicago Marriott in Schaumburg
