We are not sure when wagons became so popular for boys. We see them at the turn-of-the 20th century, but that was when amateur snapshots became popular. We have fewer snapshos from the 1890s, but suspect that boys had wagons then as well, although we are not sure. Portrait studios kept children's toys as props during the 19th century and we do not see studio portraits with waggons. This changes dramaically when snapshots become availavle after the turn of the 20th century. Most boys growing up in America wanted their own little red wagon. Here we see American children with their wagon, probably about 1905. They were a well entrenched boyhood item by the 1920s.
The classic Radio Flyer wagon was invented by Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin. He began making hand crafted wooden waggons (1917). He founded the Liberty Coaster Co. He created the red Radio Flyer (1927). The company couldn't keep ip with the demand for wooden wafons and hand stamped metal wagons were much faster to produce. It was the first steel wagon produced by the Liberty Coaster Co. We are not sure, however, if it was the firsr metal wagon. Until then we mostly see wooden waggons like the one here. Pasin named the Radio Flyer in honor of the Italian inventor of the radio. The Flyer bit seems to have been the Lindburg mania at the time.
All boys wanted them and many had them. We note them in Little Rascals (Our Gang) movie shorts in the 1930s. We see them in Sears catalogs during the 1940s. A reader writes, "Wagons were very popular for boys in the 1940s." I had one in the late-1940s and early-50s, Radio Flyer and recall it with considerable affection. Most boys got them. We see them changing in the 1970s when plastic trikes and waggons began to appear.
We are not sure when wagons became so popular for boys. HBC reles heavily on the photographic record. We have fewer snapshots from the 1890s, but suspect that boys had wagons then as well, although we are not sure. Portrait studios kept children's toys as props during the 19th century and we do not see studio portraits with waggons. We note one photograph of New York City boys playing with a home-made waggon, we think in the late-1890s. What we have not yet found in the 19th century is toy wagons specifically made for children. That does not mean they did not exist, but without family snapsorts it is not the kind of things that would show up extensively in the photographic record. This also means there were no metal waggons.
We do see boys with wagons at the turn-of-the 20th century, but that was when amateur snapshots became popular. We note one studio that had a nice wagon about 1905. Ir was identified as a Marswell wagon. The number of images changed dramaically when snapshots become available after the turn of the 20th century. Most boys growing up in America wanted their own wagons. An early example of American children with wagons is a group of unidentified children in 1907. It doesn't look red. The wagon became an entrenched boyhood item by the 1920s. Bot they were hand cradted wooden waggons and relatively expensive. This limited the number of boys who could have them. The classic Radio Flyer wagon was invented by Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin. He began making the standard hand-crafted wooden waggons (1917). He founded the Liberty Coaster Co. He created the red Radio Flyer (1927). This nay have been the beginning of the little red wagon, but we are not yet sure about that. The company couldn't keep ip with the demand for wooden wafons and hand stamped metal wagons were much faster to produce. It was the first steel wagon produced by the Liberty Coaster Co. We are not sure, however, if it was the firsr metal wagon. Until then we mostly see wooden waggons like the one here. Pasin named the Radio Flyer in honor of the Italian inventor of the radio. The Flyer bit seems tio have been the Lindburg mania at the time. All boys wanted them and many had them. We note them in Little Rascals (Our Gang) movie shorts in the 1930s. We see them in Sears catalogs during the 1940s. A reader writes, "Wagons were very popular for boys in the 1940s." I had one in the late-1940s and early-50s, Radio Flyer and recall it with considerable affection. Most boys got them. We see them changing in the 1970s when plastic trikes and waggons began to appear.
We think waggons continue to be popular, miostly with boys in the 21st century. We see a lot of plastic construction.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main American wagon page ]
[Return to the Main wagon page ]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Cloth and textiles]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Topics]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor hats]
[Flat caps]
[Sailor suits]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Blouses]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Knickers]
[Knee pants]
[Long stockingsd]
[Stocking supporters]
[Sandals]
[Pinafores]