I chose to discuss three toys that were popular in our given time period, but are also still popular today. They are also examples of toys I had as a child.
The first is the Noah's Ark toy. I found this toy to be very interesting. It seems that miniature objects were very popular in the 19th century, including dollhouses, zoos, animals, etc. The Noah's Ark was one of the most popular animal toys in the 19th and early 20th century. Originating in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, these toys were handmade. Entire families were involved in the creation of thousands of these models, from the carving to the painting. However, the income received was often barely enough to put food on the table. Georg Lang was a large producer of these types of toys.
The toys were popular with both boys and girls, probably due to fascination of exotic animals that many had never seen before. The Ark ranged from primitive huts on rafts to more sophisticated ships. A hinged roof was a must, so that Noah, his family and the animals could be stored inside. These toys were often referred to as "Sunday toys because they were suitable to play with on the Sabbath due to their Biblical theme (Dalrymple, 46). The animals were often carved from wood, but their was experimentation with other materials, which didn't work really well. Most of the time, the animals were painted, but it was not always the case(King, 256).
I didn't actually have a Noah's Ark menagerie, but I did have a huge collection of plastic miniature animals, which included exotics, like lions, bears, zebras and other zoo type animals.
The Jack in the Box
A Jack in the Box is a figure that jumps out of a box on a coiled spring when the lid is unlatched. The lid usually comes undone after a crank is turned. It is one of the oldest types of mechanical toys(Dalrymple, 76). The first known appearance of the Jack in the Box is in Europe in the 16th century. It has also been known as the Punchbox, because the figure in the box was usually modeled after the puppets Punch and his wife, Judy. The name Jack in the Box came around in the 17th century. By the mid 1800s, most of these toys were made in either Germany or America.
The boxes were usually made of wood, which was covered with a colorful paper or lithograph, depicting a colorful scene. The figure, maybe a clown, is usually made with molded plaster or papier mache, and painted bright colors. The clothes of the figure cover the coiled spring and were either made of colorful cloth or crepe paper.
The Jack in the Box is still popular today. I had one as a child and, at the time, had mixed feelings about it. The box was plastic, and very bright, and the figure inside was a very bright clown. It wasn't scary at all. When the crank was turned, the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel" was played. I just always found the sudden "pop" of the figure out the box a little unsettling. It would kind of take my breath away with surprise. I guess this is part of the attraction of this toy, and the reason it's popularity has lasted several hundred years.
Building blocks
This toy was popular due to its educational and fun factor. The first blocks were alphabet blocks made of wood or bone and used in England in the 1600s(Dalrymple,108). S.L. Hill was the first person in America to manufacture blocks in a large quantity. He patented his "Spelling Blocks" which included letters, numbers and pictures. Most of the blocks used were engraved, but by the 1870s, manufactures began to use colorful lithographs to decorate their blocks (Dalrymple,110). They also began to have more than just the ABCs on them. Many blocks had pictures of various scenes from nursery rhymes or other children's stories. In 1880, the Anchor Building blocks were patented by F. Ad. Rickter Company. These were building blocks of cast cement and were construction toys. The blocks included pillars, arches and other shapes conducive to building. Other interlocking block sets or puzzle block sets were also popular, eventually leading to the popular Lincoln Logs and that style building block sets.
Colorful wooden blocks displaying the alphabet, numbers and pictures are still popular today. It is an excellent way to educate children. I remember my set of alphabet blocks and the many hours spent playing with them.
Dalrymple, Marya. Toys and Games. Time-Life Books,1991. 174 pages
King, Constance E. Antique Toys and Dolls. Rizzoli International Publications, Inc, 1979. 256pages
"Classic Toys: Jack-in-the-Box" (2009, August 4) retrieved from http://www.retroplanet.com/blog/retro-archives/classic-toys/jack-in-the-box/
"Erzgebirge History and History of Noah's Ark" (2011) retrieved from www.germanchristmasgifts.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=history
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