From Control to Adaptation: America's Toy Story

The child's toys and the old man's reasons are the fruits of the two seasons. -William Blake Introduction Nothing defines us more than our toys. From infancy, when we clutch brightly-colored blocks and cuddly teddy bears, to adulthood, when our toys of choice are fast cars, electronic games, and cute or expensive collectibles, toys say a great deal about who we are and what we value. Some toys, such as kites, jacks, and hoops, are inherently recreational, enabling us to have fun. More often than not, though, toys also serve a larger purpose as they exemplify our cultural truths: what skills we hope to develop, what attitudes we want to cultivate, and what possessions we wish to flaunt. Toys reflect the interplay between our society's view of play and its opposite, work. All societies have had toys, affirming a basic human need to connect with an object-perhaps a doll or a ball-in some form of play. However, it was not until the late sixteenth century that the word "toy"-which was associated with triviality, delusion, and lust-began to refer to children's playthings (Kuznets 10). In America by end of the nineteenth century, the notion of "toy" took on new meaning. Prior to this time, toys-which were almost always homemade, usually of wood-were few, as children endured endless hours of chores, leaving little time for play. The toys and games that they did have frequently embodied moralistic messages. By the Industrial Age, this began to change as mass-produced, affordable toys became available, and workers had the income to buy them. At the same time, children, who previously were regarded as little adults and treated accordingly, entered a new sphere. Deemed different from adults by virtue of their innocence, children warranted special care, protection, nurturing, and instruction as they moved through a distinct stage of development known as childhood, characterized by their own books, clothing, and playthings. In essence, they won the right to be children and to play, and toys became part of the formula. This attitude became even more entrenched by the 1950s when, during the the post-World War II baby boom, television invaded American homes attracting children with shows and advertising geared to them and espousing a child-centered, family-oriented agenda. In such a culture, where children are highly valued, the role of toys takes on greater importance, and several questions emerge, some practical, others ideological. What functions do, and should, toys provide? What messages do toys and the narratives that accompany them impart to children? How do toys reflect and affect attitudes and values in a dynamic, increasingly technological, careerist, and consumerist mass culture? Do we ever outgrow our toys? As artifacts of popular culture, toys embody the controversies of their time. Sites of philosophical struggle, they form a text that invites a discussion of contemporary issues regarding empowerment, control, social roles, and consumption. Then and Now One way to address these issues is to consider how toys have changed. In the summer of 2000, the Francis Land House in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which dates back to colonial times, presented an exhibit of American toys from the first half of the twentieth century. Titled "Memories of Childhood," it was made possible through the contributions of various friends and members of the Francis Land House Historic Society, who scoured their attics for treasured childhood play-- things. In one corner of the exhibition hall stood a large white doll house with painted green shutters that Henry Nichols Horton built in 1925 for his daughter Doris. An exact replica of the Horton Family home in Providence, Rhode Island, the doll house contained furniture and accessories that Horton hand crafted. Other toys in the exhibit included a Shirley Temple doll in a blue dress, a porcelain tea set painted with red flowers, a pair of rusty roller skates with a key, a clay marble game, two tattered brown teddy bears, a cowboy shirt and spurs, a 'Lil Orphan Annie stove previously used to bake mud pies, and several tin toys, such as a bus, train, and plane. …