The MMSI is a Chicago area based organization dedicated to the art and collection of the Military Miniature.
We hold a show/competition each year in October. There are also monthly meetings that deal in a wide
variety of subjects. We publish a bi-monthly journal called "The Scabbard" that includes articles on history,
uniforms and miniatures. Meetings are held on the first Friday of the month. There are summer get togethers
as well as an annual Holiday party during the Christmas season. The MMSI is run by an executive committee
as well as a large amount of member support to put together the many programs and show exhibitions
thorough the year.
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 MMSI slowly expanded during the next 10 years, total about 35 members in 1962. Meetings were held in
member's 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 expansion.
In 1968 the MMSI took a quantum leap and began publishing a monthly journal called The Scabbard. Actually,
it was a re-introduction of a journal, for Mr. Jones tried to publish the original Scabbard in 1953-1954 but only
five issues were printed before it folded. A monthly journal brings people together and when The Scabbard
was published, the membership expanded again, gaining enthusiasts from across the county now that they
had something in common with the local members.
The membership continued to grow as the interest in the military miniature hobby began to grow also. 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 the Oakton Community
College and the MMSI found a home for good, first at the Skokie, IL campus and then at the DesPlaines
campus, where they now meet regularly.
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. 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. After 15 years the
Chicago Show is once again in Schaumburg at the Chicago Marriot hotel.
The Society meets every month during the year, usually on the first Friday night. Programs and theme nights
are planned throughout the year, with general conversation, critiques, how-to and comradeship in evidence.
The membership in the Society started with a very small amount of enthusiasts and now numbers near 300
nationwide with members in England, France & Canada.
The current membership numbers among its members some of the best painters in the US. The Chicago
Show attracts artists from all over the world, making it one of the largest such shows anywhere. The
hospitality of the MMSI is second to none and its members strive to make everyone who visits, whether the
meetings or the show, feel right at home, among friends
MMSI Officers
Mike Cobb- President
Andy Grabowski - Vice President
Andrew Hansen - Treasurer
George Southgate - Secretary
Dick Pielin - Editor
Dave Peschke - Show Chairman
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