The Story of American Toys: From the Puritans to the Present - Hardcover

O'Brien, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0896599213 ISBN 13: 9780896599215

Publisher: Abbeville Pr, 1990

Synopsis

The evolution of the American toy is chronicled in a grandly illustrated volume that recounts the stories of the inventors, manufacturers, and marketers of the essential childhood companion.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

In a capable, matter-of-fact history, O'Brien ( Collecting Toys ) surveys the playthings of three American centuries, beginning with the doll carried by young William Penn to Pennsylvania and concluding with the jowly Mr. Potato Head, manufactured by Hasbro and still popular in the 1980s. In between are Robert the Robot, a battery-run alien creature of the '50s; toy soldiers of successive eras; a charming miniature tin kitchen, circa 1880, from Asheville, N.C.; and the board game's mid-19th-century forebear, The Mansion of Happiness, an Instructive, Moral, and Entertaining Amusement. A picture book designed with a jaunty vernacular rhythm, O'Brien's opus is also noteworthy for the curious stories he tells of toys' origins--for example, that of the teddy bear. Conceived by a shrewd Brooklyn, N.Y., toy store owner, the bear was modeled after a real-life cub whose cuddliness caught legendary hunter Teddy Roosevelt's eye. Not only was the cub's life saved, but its spirit--reincarnated in plush, fur and felt--was immortalized.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal:

This excellent book traces the history of American toys from the 18th century through 1987, emphasizing not only the toys themselves but also the people who invented them, the companies that manufactured them, and the ways in which social, political, and technological changes affected the toy business. The book includes over 300 handsome illustrations, two thirds in color. Its only real weakness lies in its lack of balanced coverage, particularly in the illustrations. Half the photographs are devoted to just three areas: toy road vehicles, airplanes, and military equipment; some other major areas such as construction sets, activity sets, stuffed toys, dolls, and girls' toys of all types are almost ignored. The book should appeal to a wide range of readers, from passionate toy collectors to those who simply enjoy remembering their childhoods.
- Frederick A. Schlipf, Urbana Free Lib. & GSLIS, Univ. of Illinois
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abbeville Pr
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0896599213
• ISBN 13: 9780896599215
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1