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.

The 1900s

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. We see stuffed animals and rag dolls in the 19th century. But the first Teddy Bear appeared (1903). Steiff named it after President Theodore Roosevelt famously saved a bear cub. 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. This began in the late-19th century, but by the turn-of-the 20th century, real progress was being made. Inevitably toys appeared running on electricity. And the most imprtant were electrric trains. Toy trains appeared almost as soon as actual trains (mid-19th century). Second, another important develooment was the automobile. It as at first a play thing for the rich and not very important. This is why horses continued to be so important in the 1900s. But Henry Ford came out with the Model-T Ford (1908). This was a car avrage people could aford and in the process chnaged the world. As a result, toy cars and trucks would become an impolrtant boy's toy for the rest of the century. here were many specialized vehicles, fire trucks were especially popular. Bikes were still alittle dangerous for children and rekatively expnsice. We see triles for children in the 1890s. Rgey became more prevalent in the 1900s, but were mostly only avilable for children from well-established family. The movies began to beome an important part of American life. Hollywood energeds as the center of film production. Children commionly went to th movies saturday afternoon. Westerns fron the beginning were popular, especially with boys. Ienvitally the boys wanted cowboy regalia, incuding cowboy hats and toy guns.

The 1910s

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. This include bith biys and girls, but were most poplar for boys. Construction sets wee a nmajor innovatioin. Erector Sets invented by Alfred Carlton Gilbert appeared for school age boys (1913). It was the only construction set that contained a working electrical motor. Lincoln Logs for younger boys were created John Lloyd Wright (1916). This invplved interlocking beams looking like logs. Charles H. Pajeau designed another constructiin toy--Tinkertoy. A set containg wooden sticks and wooden spools with holes drilled in them for the sticks. We do not know of any particularly important new toy for the girls. The focus continued to be on domestic pursuits. Dolls were the major item along with doll houses and baby carriages. Raggedy Ann made her appearance (1915), was created by American author Johnny Gruelle. He wrote short stories about the doll. His doll was a rag doll with red yarn hair and a triangle nose. There were many more expesive types made in buisque and even porcelin. The Ouija board appeared in the 1910s. The movies began to beome an important part of American life. Hollywood energeds as the center of film production. Children commionly went to the movies saturday afternoon. Westerns fron the beginning were popular, especially with boys. Ienvitally the boys wanted cowboy regalia, incuding cowboy hats and toy guns. We are not sure how much of this became available in the 1910s, but it ceratinly was by the 1920s. We are not sure about the impact of World War I on toys in America. The War certainly impacted children's play. We see many images of boys playing War. This was just the boys, the girls rarely joined in the game. The Unired States did not enter the War for 3 years (1917). We do begin to see toy air planes.

The 1920s

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