 Figure 1.--This square 1974 snapshot shows an unidentified group of boys, probably in California or Florida. They look to be about6-11yearsold. The boys are well armed with toy rifles. Earlier boys would have had mostly pistols. |
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Toy guns throughout the 19th and 20th century were a much prised toy by American boys. Some of our European readers say that this is not the case in Europe. We are not entirely sureabout this, but it is an interesting question. We note that American shoot'emup Western were very popular in Europe. Girls had no interest in them. Children have always found small imitations of objects from the adult world with which to play. We are not sure when toy guns first appeared. Effective guns only appeared in Europe during the 16th century. Boys at the time would have loved to have had replica guns to playwith. At the time, however, childhood play was much less common than is the case today. The productivity of economies of the day meant that children had to work work as soon as they were able to do so. And at the time, play was not only seen as a valuable activity for children, but parents had the money to purchase toys. This did not begin to change until the Enlightenment and the onset of the Indutrial Revolution (18th century). As a result, we finally see modern childhood emerging and with it a widerange of mass produced toys (19th century). We are not sure about the first types of toy guns. We think carved wooden guns and cap guns were some of the first. Not all were exactly toys. The Lincoln boys, for example, had a minature canon that actually fired. A staple of American boyhood became the metal dyecast pistol--almost always a six-shooter. Most were cap guns. This began after the Civil War when gun manufactuers sought new products and cutomers to stay in business. It was, however, after the turn-of-the 20th century that the toy gun phenomenon began thanks to the movies. A movie staple became the Western. And Western heros had six-shot revolvers. Boys wanted them. Six shooters complete with gun belt and holster became a boy's primary possession. They were needed to play war and cowboys and Indians. The gangsters and G-men who also appeared in the movies added a new wrinkle and new guns (1930s). This did not change until well after World War II when all kinds of varied toy guns, often rifles began to appear and plastic began to be used (late-1950s). Toy guns appearedin in all sizes, prices and materials such as wood, metal, plastic or any combination thereof. Many of these newer toy guns were much more imgaminative than the basic six-shooter that was based on a real gun. They could be brightly colored and oddly shaped to deal with space inaders and assorted aliens. And of course there was the BB gun. Boys in the 1930s-50s had the perenial confrontation with mom over getting a BB gun--importalized in the film 'A Christmas Story' set in the 1950s. Toys guns have declineded since the Vietnam War (1970s). Theprimary factor here has been mothers who believe that guns promote violence. Many boys continued to want them. This has changed somewhat with the advent ofthe computer age. Video games provided a level of play violence far beyond that of games of cowboys and Indians with cap guns.
Toy guns throughout the 19th and 20th century were a much prised toy by American boys. Some of ourEuropean readers say that this is not the case in Europe. We are not entirely sure about this, but it is an interesting question. We note that American shoot'emup Western were very popular in Europe.
Girls had no interest in them.
Children have always found small imitations of objects from the adult world with which to play.
We are not sure when toy guns first appeared. Effective guns only appeared in Europe during the 16th century. Boys at the time would have loved to have had replica guns to playwith. At the time, however, childhood play was much less common than is the case today. The productivity of economies of the day meant that children had to work work as soon as they were able to do so. And at the time, play was not only seen as a valuable activity for children, but parents had the money to purchase toys. This did not begin to change until the Enlightenment and the onset of the Indutrial Revolution (18th century). As a result, we finally see modern childhood emerging and with it a widerange of mass produced toys (19th century). The toy guns basically produced basically followed the types of real guns that were produced at the time. Hollywood at the turn -of gthe 20th century had an impact on what boys wanted. Thus six shhoter pistols were popular long after cwboys wree no longer fighting Indians on the Western frontier. Boys into the 1960s wanted six shooters. World War I and II style weapons were not nearly as popular. Like other toys, boys craved toys that actually worked. This simulating the sound of a gunshot and a puff of smoke. Cap guns appeared aftr the Civil War (1860s) when firearms companies experimented with toy guns to stay in business. It was after World War that we have the Goldren Age of cap guns (1945-65). Gubs disd not change much in the early-20th century, alhoufgh as America begame more and more prosperous, more children had tem to play with. There were major changes in the post-War era, especially by the 1970s. e begin to see mor fanciful guns as a result of the Cold War and the increasing interest in space. We also begin to see mothers resisting buying toy guns, believing that they inspired violence. Boys still wanted them, but mothers didn't. Rgis was also a time where poarents began superbising children more closely than ever before.
We are not sure about the first types of toy guns. We think carved wooden guns and cap guns were some of the first. Not all were exactly toys. The Lincoln boys, for example, had a minature canon that actually fired. A staple of American boyhood became the metal dyecast pistol--almost always a six-shooter. Most were cap guns. This began after the Civil War when gun manufactuers sought new products and cutomers to stay in business. It was, however, after the turn-of-the 20th century that the toy gun phenomenon began thanks to the movies. A movie staple became the Western. And Western heros had six-shot revolvers. Boys wanted them. Six shooters complete with gun belt and holster became a boy's primary possession. They were needed to play war and cowboys and Indians. The gangsters and G-men who also appeared in the movies added a new wrinkle and new guns (1930s). Other popular gunsat mid-century were water pistols and rubber-tipped dart guns. This limeup did not change until well after World War II when all kinds of varied toy guns, often rifles began to appear and plastic began to be used (late-1950s). Toy guns appeared in in all sizes, prices and materials such as wood, metal, plastic or any combination thereof. Many of these newer toy guns were much more imgaminative than the basic six-shooter that was based on a real gun. They could be brightly colored and oddly shaped to deal with space inaders and asorted aliens.
And of course there was the BB gun. Boys in the 1930s-50s had the perenial confrontation with mom over getting a BB gun--importalized in the film 'A Christmas Story' set in the 1950s. Toys guns have declineded since the Vietnam War (1970s).
The primary factor in thedecvline of toy guns has been mothers who believe that guns and playing with guns promote violence.
The popularity of guns may not bewht isaffecting prevalence. Momscan prevent boys from having toy guns. More difficult is chnaging what boys want. Many boys continued to want them.
This has changed somewhat with the advent of the computer age. Video games provided a level of play violence far beyond that of games of cowboys and Indians with cap guns.
A reader writes, "I am glad that I grew up in a time [1950s-60s] where playing with guns did not corralate to becoming a school shooter. Is this because we had no violent video games. We had numerous westerns on TV where people were shot and killed on a weekly basis yet kids back then did not go out and randomly kill. After a youth here goes out and commits a mass killing we ponder whether it was a gun issue or a mental health issue or both. Those politicians who were bought and paid for by the NRA refuse to deal with the gun issue and those on the left refuse to deal with the mental health issues or the part that Hollywood play in it. Meanwhile the slaughter continues. In my opinion there are 3 main factors that need to be addressed. The ease in which guns can be acquired, for certain violent videos and Hollywood movies, but most importantly, the breakdown of the American family. Parents do not take responsibility for the content of what their kids are viewing. Both parents work and the good old days of sitting around the dinner table and discussing one's day have become a thing of the past in most families. I believe that the kids today just don't get the love and affection that we were provided in our era. For sure there was bullying and many bad kids but that did not lead us to take a fire arm to school and start blasting away. These kids will never know the joys of going out after school and playing cowboys or soldiers. This politically correct society simply won't allow it."
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