This blog discusses old toys from the early 1920's to the end of the 1950's. All kinds of topics are discussed.
The time span was the greatest period for "hands-on" toys, where a young child could actually go outside and play for hours at a time.
You can see the elegance but simple design of these toys. It was a time when huge machines, and people made and finished toys by hand.
The era has long passed, but many of the toys are still around, and that is what I would like to share.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Ives,Blakeslee, & Williams Co. Catalogue - Part II
Sunday, October 10, 2016 Overcast and Raining 17 Celsius / 63 Fahrenheit
Ives, Blakeslee, and Williams Co.
Yesterday, I added a post about a catalogue reproduction of an 1893 original. Yesterday's content was exclusively iron pull toys, that would be pulled along the road or sidewalk by a string. Today's entry is about the "mechanical toys" or wind-up toys. These toys once wound up , would be able to move by themselves or feature moving people doing some kind of action, such as dancing, or playing a musical instrument.
The toys below can run in a straight line, or if a part of them are turned, will run in a circle.
The toys below can run in a straight line, or if the front axles are turned, will run in a circle.
Below's toys are more sophisticated in nature. The horses (middle photo) move around in a circle, until there is no more energy, and the winner is the one that lines up with the # 60 on the base of the toy. The cat toy has the animal playing a violin on the top of a house roof.
Below are assorted toys that will perform different actions. The largest one (immediately below)
has 3 people doing different actions and when wound, will run for 60 minutes.
These American toys developed after the high-quality and lithographed toys from Europe were imported into the United States. The European were more colourful,as the Europeans, especially the Germans had developed lithography (printing) on metal, and had very sophisticated and multi coloured colour themes.