|
Toys to an extent are affected by the chronology. Of course boys are boys and their interests are only partly affected by the passage of time. Most of our 19th century images are studio portraits. This means that they toys displayed are usually studio props. Thus items like balls, blocks, marbles, tops, vehicles, and many other items are going to interest boys regardless of the passage of time. And any thing loud like drums and buggles are also popular. One of the most popular toys was hoops which boys could roll. And they were easy to get as they were used to manufacture barrels, commonly use to transport justablt anything from beer, to flour to pickels. In fact, some of the items have been found in the remains of ancient civilizations, millenia ago. We note all kinds of wonderful cast iron toys in the 19th century, mostly the late-19th century. Books were enjoyed by both boys and girls. We note the appearance of books employing colored lithographs by the end of the decade. Another popular item were pull toys, often done as animals. Younger children enhoyed hobby horses throughout the century. Of course girls enjoyed dolls and baby carriages.
No photographs yet in the 1830s. Here we see a wood block engraving by Alexander Anderson illustrating a toy shop. It is undated, but we might guess was taken in the 1830s. It is interesting not only because of the toy on display, but because there were toy shops. And the suggestion is that this was nohing unusual nor not something just for the well-to-do. The boy is making a purchase with a coin. This may stream strange to our modern mind, but toy shops were just beginning to appear in the 18th century and were not very common until the 19th century. This was because not many working-class families could afford to purchase toys for children until the industrial revolution which was just beginning to take hold in America during the 1830s. (It had begun earlier in Britain.) And most parents before the 19th century saw play as not only a waste of time, but idel behqvior that was not good for the child. We can make out a range of toys, incuding balls, a drum a flag, a hand accordian, a hobby horse, kites, and pull toys (horse and waggon). They seem to be mostly wooden toy. Perhaps reader can make out other toys. Notice there is no sports gear. Strangely no dolls or other toys for the girls.
Here we have a commercially made CDV. It is not dated, but we would guess was taken in the 1860s. Toys were often used as props in children's portraits. But here there are toys all over the place giving us a good idea about toys in the 1860s. The bottom of the matt is penciled "Sick Doll" & has the title with the printed wording "The Sick Doll" & "Registered." Since the matt is marked "Registered" we would attribute the cdv to England as this is an English marking which is equivalent to an American patent marking. Shown in the photo are dolls (probably German) being held by children. Looks like one of the boys has a spoon preparing to feed the doll laying on the lap of the girl on the right. Apparently that doll is intended to be the "sick" one.
There is an accordion on one table. There is a painted wood German ark at the bottom left corner. There is a German drum located at the bottom left. There is a German painted tin train engine with tender located to the right of the drum. Also, there is a German wood stable with two horses at the bottom right of photo. One horse is in the stable & the other horse is standing at the bottom center of the photo.
Also included is a dancing man toy (probably clockwork) apparently on top of a six sided wood base. Normally we would attribute toys of this general type to American manufacturers such as Ives or American Toy Works. However, this one has a larger dancing figure than we have seen on any of the versions made by any of the American makers. So, perhaps this toy, like the others in the photo, is also German. This toy is located just under the boy's legs on the right but the toy is quite difficult to see.
Here we see a New York boy looking at some of the toys available in 1899 (figure 1). Notice the drums. We are not sure what this boy has set is eye on. A reader writes, "Its not a very well ordered display. It would not have been a suitable display idea for the shop My Polly worked in. Here much more thought went into the window displays. In this shop the display is a toy mountain. All the toys are heaped up to make children look much longer at them to see a toy they would like. What a collection there is too. There is a rocking horse fixed to the back wall of the display. At the front there seems to be a go-cart, to the right wheels which might belong to a tricycle. On top of the wheeled toys are the drums. The drums are easily identified but its a possibly that he is looking to the right of them. My guess would be that the boy's eyes are feasting on a bike. My guess it is something big." Yes it does not look like a real well run store and probably not in a very good section of the city. The Go-Cart looking vehicle is probanly an irish mail. A reader tells is, "This page reminded me of something. My father-in- law's father was born in 1890 and his father was affiliated with a local Tampa bank. The bank gave out cast iron mechanical banks in the 1890s as a promotion and since the father was on the board of the bank, maybe an officer, I am uncertain; his son received a mechanical bank. The bank was pristine as the son rarely played with it and gave it to his son when he was about 8 years old in 1935. My father-in-law had so many wonderful memories of that bank that he began collecting them and at one point owned maybe 100 banks. All found at flea markets etc.
My father in-law is still alive in his 90s and I am certain he probably still owns that bank from his father."
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to theMain U.S. toy chronology page]
[Return to theMain U.S. toy page]
[Return to theMain U.S. activities page]
[Return to theMain country toy page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossary]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
