Figure 1.--This family snapshot has been used for a cabinet card. It shows grandfather with the kids and their Christmas presents, we think about 1920. The children look to be about 1/2-8 years old. The boys have a trike, hobby horse, and drum. The girl has a baby carriage and doll. Notice the sled on the porch. Trikes and bikes were becoming much more common during the prosperous Roaring Twenties.

We have a much more detailed record of American toys in the 20th centyry. Not only do we have more written material and advertiements, but we gave countless photographic images and we have them for the entire century. And with the invention of the snapshpt thanks to the Kodak Brownie (1900) we have photograps not just of studio props, but of children with their toys everywhere they went. As in the 19th century, the decade by decade chronology was a factor. Here two primary factors are involved--societal change and technology. First, societal changes affect both boys' interests as well as parental values. When I was a kid in the 1940s-50s, ever boy had toy guns. Today many parents (especially mothers) refuse to buy toy guns for their children and carefully manage their play. In most cases, however, boys still want toy guns. The other major chronological factor is technology. Boys are not only intrigued by technology, but technology creates all kinds of new toys. There have been enormous advances in techjnology during the 20th century. Man first flew (1903) and within only a few decades had reached the moon (1968). This accomplishment required enormous technolohical advances which were reflected in children's toys. By the end of the century, the computers that made mnuch of this possible had begun to further revolutionize children's toys. Here there is a major difference between boys and girls. Many girls do not share the fascination with technology that boys have. (There is a debate as tois if this was gennetic or learned behaviort--the classic nature or nuture debate.) With the advent of snapshots we see in the 20th century we see the toys actually owned and played with and not just studio props.

Factors

We have a much more detailed record of American toys in the 20th centUry. Not only do we have more written material and advertiements, but we gave countless photographic images and we have them for the entire century. And with the invention of the snapshpt thanks to the Kodak Brownie (1900) we have photograps not just of studio props, but of children with their toys everywhere they went. As in the 19th century, the decade by decade chronology was a factor. Here two primary factors are involved--societal change and technology. First, societal changes affect both boys' interests as well as parental values. When I was a kid in the 1940s-50s, ever boy had toy guns. Today many parents (especially mothers) refuse to buy toy guns for their children and carefully manage their play. In most cases, however, boys still want toy guns. The other major chronological factor is technology. Boys are not only intrigued by technology, but technology creates all kinds of new toys. There have been enormous advances in techjnology during the 20th century. Man first flew (1903) and within only a few decades had reached the moon (1968). This accomplishment required enormous technolohical advances which were reflected in children's toys. By the end of the century, the computers that made mnuch of this possible had begun to further revolutionize children's toys. Here there is a major difference between boys and girls. Many girls do not share the fascination with technology that boys have. (There is a debate as to nwhere this is gennetic or learned -the classic nature or nuture debate.) With the advent of snapshots we see in the 20th century we see the toys actually owned and played with and not just studio props. One important observation is how muvh more affluent America childhood was. This was notable by the late-19th century as the American industrial expansion began to take hold. It continued until after World War II when the European ecoinomc miracles began to take hold in Western Europe. This contrasted sharply with Communist dominaztred Eastern Europe. This profusion of toys for children was essentially the case in all countries which had capitalist economies.

Decades

We see the 19th century staples till popular in the 1900s. We see balls, blocks, board games, piggy banks, puzzels, and tops for both genders. There were also playing cards, although here many Americans had religious reservation. We see air rifles (BB-guns), buggles, drums, pull toys, marbles, pop-guns and other toy guns, sports equiopment, toy soldiers, and toy trains for the boys. The Wright Brithers flw the first heavier than air craft (1903). There must have been some toy air planes, but as far as we can tell they were not all that common. Few children had actually seen an air plane in the 1900s. There were toy animals for circus and zoo play for boys and girls. There were dolls and baby carriages for the girls. We don't know of an new toys for girsl, but there were all kinds of different dolls aoperaring. Horses continued to be the most popular toy animal because they provided much of the power needed on farms and in the city as well as for armies. It is the reason that engines are still measured in horsepower. Two major developments were changing society at the time. And of course there was an impact on children's toys, mostly boys' oys. First of all, cities were being electrified. Second, another important develooment was the automobile. It as at first a play thing for the rich and not very important. Henry Fird changed that. We see basically the same toys in the 1910sythat were populsatr in yhe 1900s. An imnprtant new addition was toy cars. We see very few toy cars in the 1900s. We see all sorts of them in the 1910s. They did not take long to become a majpr toy iyem after Henry Fors came out with with the model T (1908). And wse do not just see cars, we see toy trucks as well as well as pedal cars of all sorts. Radio Flyer was ther first little red waggon (1917). And more and more kids had trikes and bikes. We are not sure about the impact of World War I on toys in America. The War certainly impacted children's play. Here we see a family Christmas image (figure 1). The boys have a trike, hobby horse, and drum. The girl has a baby carriage and doll. Notice the sled on the porch. Trikes and bikes were becoming much more common during the prosperous Roaring Twenties.

Created: 11:36 PM 7/2/2019
Last updated: 10:44 PM 12/5/2021