'Toys For American Kids' At Wilton Historical Society
âToys For American Kidsâ At Wilton Historical Society
WILTON â In early America, most children had simple playthings made at home from materials close at hand. By the second quarter of the 19th Century, budding industrialization in central Connecticut changed all that. The clock making industry and tin makers spawned another industry: toy making.
Clockwork toys, âmagicalâ toys that moved, made of tin, delighted adults and children alike, and they were made in central Connecticut.
Wilton Historical Society is celebrating this creativity and craftsmanship with âMade In Connecticut: Toys For American Kids, 1850-2007,â its summer exhibition on view until July 15. The exhibition shows the relationship between Connecticut-made clocks, tinware and toys.
One particular clock, by George Brown, a clockmaker from 1845 until 1855, shows this progression. Credited with manufacturing the first clockwork toy in America, George Brown was a talented designer and artist. Three of his original sketches and the toys they represent will be included in the exhibition, along with a number of his other works.
Many collectors have loaned toys for this exhibition, many rare and infrequently seen.
The exhibit is wide ranging, from an early autoperipatictikos (walking doll) in its original box to 20th Century toys. All the key makers â A&E Stevens, Stevens & Brown, Gong Bell, A.C. Gilbert â and a wide selection of Ives trains and toys are represented. In addition, the exhibit also includes some toys made in surrounding states, but played with in Connecticut.
Toys originally made to entertain boys and girls are now the âtoysâ of collectors, with values that would shock the original makers. âToys For American Kidsâ is designed to entertain the collector and to educate those interested in what American kids played with before plastics and electronics.
Wilton Historical Societyâs museum, at 224 Danbury Road (Route 7), is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am until 4:30 pm and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm. Call the museum for details, 203-762-7257.