Figure 1.--Here we see two American children having a good time with a waggon. It is a wooden waggon and doesn't look to be red. It does look to be made for children. The snapshot is not dated, but we would guess was taken about 1920. We might have guessed a litte earlier, but look at the modern wheels. A reader thinks it was the taken later in the 1920s. hat is possible, but the shoes do not look right to us for the 1920s. The children wear short pants with black long stockings even though it does not seem go be cold out. We note double pendant hose supporters for long stockings that were standard wear for children (both boys and girls) during the 1910s and 20s. Notice the double rubber buttons at the top of the black stockings worn by the boy on the right. He seems to be carrying a toy stuffed monkey. Both boys, perhaps about 4-5 years old. The stockings and and supporters are probably attached to an underwaist or as part of a garter waist.

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.

The 19th Century

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.

The 20th Century

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.

The 21st Century

We think waggons continue to be popular, miostly with boys in the 21st century. We see a lot of plastic construction.

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Created: 8:37 AM 2/8/2011
Last updated: 10:59 AM 5/9/2018