The Toy Shop
Encyclopedia
The Toy Shop is an exhibit building at Shelburne Museum
, which is located in Shelburne, Vermont
. Toy Shop houses 19th- and early 20th-century playthings, including miniature transportation toys, penny banks, and music boxes.
built the Toy Shop in the early 1950s as an extension to Variety Unit
. Built in 1835, Variety Unit
, the only structure original to the Museum grounds, is an example of “continuous” architecture common to New England
farmhouses. As more space was needed, farmers added new wings to their houses, often merging farm and household buildings, in one continuous structure that not only kept everything centralized, but also made it unnecessary to go outside in inclement weather. Built onto the rear of Variety Unit
, the Toy Shop extends this tradition.
of earlier eras offer important clues to the lives of their makers and owners.
Shelburne Museum
’s collection of toys, which includes both Europe
an and American
examples from the early nineteenth century through the first decades of the twentieth century, encompasses a broad range of both handmade and manufactured examples.
Simple toys, both homemade and commercially produced, such as clay or glass marbles
and cloth, wood, leather, or rubber balls, were widely available for purchase and would often reappear in new materials as manufacturing technology improved. Educational games, that began to appear in the late eighteenth century, document the skills and subjects that children were expected to master. The abundance of commercially produced American and European toys that appeared throughout the nineteenth century attests to technological advances and to changing perceptions of childhood and leisure.
Colonial American toys included those of European manufacture as well as homemade examples. Cottage industries on both continents produced wooden blocks,
and rocking horse
s, puppet
s, doll
s, and other simple toys of paper, cloth, wood, and metal. After the Civil War
, Americans developed increasingly efficient ways to manufacture playthings and quickly emerged as leaders in the manufacture of cast-iron banks; miniature boats and wagons of tin, cast iron, or wood; and lithographed optical toys and board games.
Although the United States dominated commercial toy manufacturing by 1900, individuals continued to make playthings by hand for a variety of reasons. Some toys, like whistles
made from spring willow twigs or dandelion stems, simply could not be commercially produced. While those who could not afford store-bought toys often created homemade toys, even the affluent sometimes chose to carve a miniature cradle or a hobby horse
, or to stitch a doll dress or a puppet as a special gift. Children also enjoy making toys and the nineteenth century saw an emergence of pattern books and instructional magazines for their use.
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
, which is located in Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Toy Shop houses 19th- and early 20th-century playthings, including miniature transportation toys, penny banks, and music boxes.
History
The Shelburne MuseumShelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
built the Toy Shop in the early 1950s as an extension to Variety Unit
Variety Unit
Variety Unit is an exhibit building at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.-History:Variety Unit is the only structure at Shelburne Museum that is original to the site...
. Built in 1835, Variety Unit
Variety Unit
Variety Unit is an exhibit building at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.-History:Variety Unit is the only structure at Shelburne Museum that is original to the site...
, the only structure original to the Museum grounds, is an example of “continuous” architecture common to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
farmhouses. As more space was needed, farmers added new wings to their houses, often merging farm and household buildings, in one continuous structure that not only kept everything centralized, but also made it unnecessary to go outside in inclement weather. Built onto the rear of Variety Unit
Variety Unit
Variety Unit is an exhibit building at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.-History:Variety Unit is the only structure at Shelburne Museum that is original to the site...
, the Toy Shop extends this tradition.
Collection
The impulse to play is universal, and throughout human history people not immediately preoccupied with survival have created playthings. ToysToys
Toys is a 1992 comedy film directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright, LL Cool J, and introducing Jamie Foxx as Baker. The film failed at the box office at the time of its release, despite its impressive cast and lavish filmmaking. Levinson was...
of earlier eras offer important clues to the lives of their makers and owners.
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
’s collection of toys, which includes both Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
examples from the early nineteenth century through the first decades of the twentieth century, encompasses a broad range of both handmade and manufactured examples.
Simple toys, both homemade and commercially produced, such as clay or glass marbles
Marbles
A marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, steel, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch in diameter, but they may range from less than ¼ inch to over 3 inches , while some art glass marbles fordisplay purposes are over 12 inches ...
and cloth, wood, leather, or rubber balls, were widely available for purchase and would often reappear in new materials as manufacturing technology improved. Educational games, that began to appear in the late eighteenth century, document the skills and subjects that children were expected to master. The abundance of commercially produced American and European toys that appeared throughout the nineteenth century attests to technological advances and to changing perceptions of childhood and leisure.
Colonial American toys included those of European manufacture as well as homemade examples. Cottage industries on both continents produced wooden blocks,
Hobby horse (toy)
A hobby horse is a child's toy horse, particularly popular during the days before cars. Children played at riding a wooden hobby horse made of a straight stick with a small horse's head , and perhaps reins, attached to one end. The bottom end of the stick sometimes had a small wheel or wheels...
and rocking horse
Rocking horse
A rocking horse is a child's toy, usually shaped like a horse and mounted on rockers similar to a rocking chair.Predecessors of the rocking horse may be seen in the rocking cradle, the tilting seats used during the Middle Ages for jousting practice as well as the wheeled hobby horse...
s, puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
s, doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s, and other simple toys of paper, cloth, wood, and metal. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Americans developed increasingly efficient ways to manufacture playthings and quickly emerged as leaders in the manufacture of cast-iron banks; miniature boats and wagons of tin, cast iron, or wood; and lithographed optical toys and board games.
Although the United States dominated commercial toy manufacturing by 1900, individuals continued to make playthings by hand for a variety of reasons. Some toys, like whistles
Whistles
Whistles is a clothing brand with 40 stores across Britain. It was founded in the early 1980s by Lucille and Richard Lewin.In January 2008, Jane Shepherdson, former Topshop director, signed a deal to purchase a 20 per cent stake in Whistles and was appointed the job of chief executive.-Style:In the...
made from spring willow twigs or dandelion stems, simply could not be commercially produced. While those who could not afford store-bought toys often created homemade toys, even the affluent sometimes chose to carve a miniature cradle or a hobby horse
Hobby horse (toy)
A hobby horse is a child's toy horse, particularly popular during the days before cars. Children played at riding a wooden hobby horse made of a straight stick with a small horse's head , and perhaps reins, attached to one end. The bottom end of the stick sometimes had a small wheel or wheels...
, or to stitch a doll dress or a puppet as a special gift. Children also enjoy making toys and the nineteenth century saw an emergence of pattern books and instructional magazines for their use.