Toys Archive

“Oh, let’s do the kitchen,” said Mary. “There are so many interesting things in the kitchen.” My Doll’s House (1932)
In August 2018, I received a research fellowship from The Strong. Thanks to The Strong’s support, I could see, touch, and “playʺ with the kitchen toys that girls in postwar America might have played with. The kitchen toys! But why the kitchen toys? Aren’t they just miniature kitchens and utensils? As an adult reflecting on my experiences as a […]

Continue Reading about Rethinking the Kitchen in Girls’ Play Published on:
March 28, 2019

Everybody recognizes a jigsaw puzzle. A national craze in the 1930s, puzzles continue to sell well today. But few of us know the pleasure of assembling an all-wood, hand-cut puzzle. These playthings for adults first appeared around 1910 in the United States. While basic puzzle construction was simple—glue a paper print to wood or cardboard and then cut it out with a saw—they were made purposefully difficult to assemble. At that time, no serious puzzle came with a picture of […]

Continue Reading about The Rolls-Royce of Jigsaw Puzzles Published on:
March 19, 2019

At the turn of the 20th century, the toy market in the United States relied heavily on European imports—only 30 percent of the toys sold were produced domestically. Retailers and salesmen depended on buyers who traveled abroad for goods and news of industry trends. In 1902, a group of American toy companies sought to change the status quo, stationing themselves in a lower Manhattan hotel for the month of February to entice toy buyers with American-made products as they departed […]

Continue Reading about Filling a Long-Felt Want: The Origin of Playthings Magazine Published on:
January 4, 2019

Is there someone on your holiday gift-buying list who deserves a memorable toy this season? I’m here to tell you to look no further than the must-have toys of yesteryear to come up with a gift that’s sure to delight—a strategy that will spare you from duking it out in the toy aisle over the latest hot plaything that’s selling at a premium. Just let the toy crazes of the past be your guide to avoiding holiday shopping stress this […]

Continue Reading about Must-Have Holiday Toys—Past, Present, and Future Published on:
November 20, 2018

Our lives are complicated and expectations for the future lie between idle longing and fervent wishing. As I entered the angst of middle school, I often wondered “what might happen?” and “what should I do about it.” I sought an oracle that could illuminate the future for me and Magic 8 Ball proved an intriguing way to harmlessly flirt with the future. On November 8, 2018, Magic 8 Ball took its place of honor in the National Toy […]

Continue Reading about Outlook Good: Magic 8 Ball Inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame Published on:
November 8, 2018

Although The Strong’s toy collections have long included endearing dolls and adorable stuffed animals, recently the museum has added some creepier characters to its holdings. In an initiative inspired by the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Strong has acquired a Dracula figure made by Azrak-Hamway Incorporated, a Frankenstein’s Monster figure from Mego Corporation, and a Wolfman Assembly Kit produced by Aurora Plastic.
All three of these toys can ultimately trace their genesis […]

Continue Reading about The Strong Acquires Monster Toys Published on:
October 18, 2018

It began with a phone call from Paul Reiche III last summer.
I’ve known Paul since hearing him at the Game Developer’s Conference in 2012 tell the story of the creation of the Skylanders line of toy-to-life video games. I loved his enthusiasm for video games, tabletop games, and toys, a passion that fueled pioneering work in those fields from his time at TSR in the 1970s working on Dungeons & Dragons to his many years in the video game business; […]

Continue Reading about Documenting the Skylanders Story Published on:
September 27, 2018

In October 2017, I had the chance to be at The Strong National Museum of Play as a research fellow collecting data for my Dolls in Focus project aimed at revisiting and expanding the findings of my previous linguistic investigation on dolls’ language. Surprisingly, what I thought would primarily be an exploratory incursion into dolls’ universe from an academic perspective turned out to be a rather touching and personal experience that allowed me to revisit my own childhood memories.
For a […]

Continue Reading about Dolls in Focus Published on:
September 21, 2018

In my last blog post we learned that the first big wave of skateboarding took place from 1959 to 1965, and then skateboarding went mainly “underground” from about 1966 to 1972. However, the skateboarding world began to see a resurgence starting in 1973 thanks to Frank Nasworthy’s 1972 introduction of durable “Cadillac Wheels.” These new and improved composite wheels provided smoother, faster rides for skateboarders and this upgraded feature literally set the “wheels in motion” for the second […]

Continue Reading about Sidewalk Surfing: The Gnarly History of Skateboarding Part II (1973 to 1991) Published on:
September 14, 2018