In the early eighteenth century, "circus" meant a one person or one animal performance that usually moved from town to town entertaining travelers and local people. Circuses, like many other kinds of popular entertainment, were...
What to do on a cold or rainy day? Chemistry sets like this one from the 1940s provided countless experiments for kids to learn about atoms and molecules as well as the natural world. Toy laboratories like this one, as well as other educational...
At almost 39 inches long, the “Columbus” was one of the largest toy ocean liners produced in the mid-1920s by the German company Marklin. They were one of the world’s finest toy makers, famous for their tin toys and toy trains. Although the...
Dolls; toys; Japan; Dolls -- Japan; Japan -- Social life and customs; International relations; Cultural relations
In 1927, children in the United States sent over 12,000 dolls, with voices that said mama," to Japanese school children as a gesture of friendship. Japan responded by sending Miss Shimane and her sisters as a thank you. First, a national...
Toys; E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, in his adventure on Earth (Motion picture); Nineteen eighties
E.T. was a 1982 movie directed by Steven Spielberg about a "gentle, long-fingered alien" who is accidentally stranded on earth with one goal--to return home. He is befriended by a 10-year old, his brother and sister and their friends....
Howdy Doody show (Television program); Dolls; Toys; Marionettes; Nineteen fifties
Television made Howdy Doody one of the most famous marionettes in history. The program, hosted by Buffalo Bob Smith, was one of the first and most popular TV shows made just for kids. Throughout the 1950s, millions of kids were entertained by Howdy...
Made from wood, these animals represent a long-standing craft tradition. Woodworking exists in many forms, from nutcrackers, to Christmas candle pyramids, to smoking figures, to fairy tale figurines. Small wooden figures are created to represent...
Toys; Toy making; Hydrocopters; Handicraft -- Africa; Burkina Faso; France -- Colonies -- Africa; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Art, African
Can you find the clues that tell how and where this artifact was made? If you look closely at the multi-colored metal, you can see pictures of little boys and girls wearing Dutch wooden shoes and the words "milk," "sweetened"...
Castles seem to hold a special spell over children in America. Without a real nearby medieval fortress, children use toys like this one to experience a building only seen in movies. Imagining this castle full of dashing knights and beautiful...
Mary Todd Lincoln was often ridiculed by her contemporaries for spending money and her forceful personality. She was a well educated woman who terribly missed her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, and sons Willie and Tad. This doll was made about...
Toys; Mechanical toys; Motorcycles; Police; Japan; World War 1939-1945; 1950s; 1960s
This toy was "Made for America," but wasn’t "Made in America". Following World War II, the United States Government actively assisted in the economic recovery of Japan. This toy is one of many made in new factories in Japan...
Introduced in 1957, Lionel's Girl's Train was a dismal failure in the stores. It may have been because girls who were interested in trains wanted one that looked like a real train, not like a gimmicky pastel-colored toy. Because so few were sold,...
Toys; Airplanes; Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974; Spirit of St. Louis (Airplane); Transatlantic flights; Air pilots -- United States -- Biography; Souvenirs (Keepsakes); 1920s
In 1927 Charles A. Lindberg made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York, New York to Paris, France in his monoplane the Spirit of St. Louis. This historic flight took place just 25 years after the first successful...
Temple, Shirley, 1928-; Toys; Dolls; Paper Dolls; Nineteen thirties
Shirley Temple was one of the best known child stars of all time. She starred in over 40 movies in the 1930s. Shirley Temple dolls were especially popular. Many different kinds were made—including paper dolls. This set was made by the Saalfield...
Toys; Dolls; 19th century; China dolls; Miniature objects
Dolls like this, without clothing, were called "Frozen Charlotte," and were first made about 1850. This doll is wearing a modest dress made out of ribbons. Frozen Charlottes were sometimes baked into children's birthday cakes to be found...
Toys; Bridges; Batman (Fictitious character); Robin the Boy Wonder (Fictitious character); Superheroes; 20th Century; 1970s
Crime fighting character Batman was created by Bob Kane in 1939 for DC Comics. Assisted by his teenage sidekick Robin, Batman fought a variety of villains including the Joker, the Penguin, and Catwoman. In 1966 ABC introduced a live-action...
Toys; Automobiles -- Models; Brickyard 400 (Automobile race); Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis, Ind.); NASCAR (Association); Stock car racing -- United States; Automobile racing; Souvenirs (Keepsakes); 1990s
On August 6, 1994, the inaugural Brickyard 400 auto race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This was not only the first NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) race held at the Speedway, but the first time since the track...
Dragnet emphasized “just the facts, ma’am” and strove to create realistic documentary style drama inspired by true stories with “the names changed to protect the innocent.” One of the most famous crime shows on TV, Dragnet featured Jack...
Does this toy zeppelin remind you of the blimps that fly over football stadiums or other special events? Named after German aviation pioneer Ferdinand Zeppelin, these airships were state of the art air transportation from the early 1900s until...
Toys; Dolls; Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls; Gruelle, Johnny, 1880-1938; Gruelle, Johnny, 1880-1938 -- Characters -- Raggedy Ann; Raggedy Ann (Fictitious character); Authors -- Indiana; Autographs; 1920s
Raggedy Ann has been popular ever since Johnny Gruelle published Raggedy Ann Stories in 1918 and the first Raggedy Ann dolls were made. This doll was made by a girl when she was in the 1st grade in 1929. One day she and her mother took her Raggedy...
