German Toy Steam Engine
date: label: date made
content: early 20th century
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This toy steam engine was made by an unknown German manufacturer during the early 20th century. The horizontal steam boiler powers a flywheel which is connected to a dynamo that can power the attached bulb. The boiler, flywheel, dynamo, and light bulb are all attached to the wooden base.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Germany
label: place made
content: Germany
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
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content: Family & Social Life
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content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
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content: Engineering Steam Toys and Models
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Maass, Eleanor A.. Greville Bathe's "Theatre of Machines": The Evolution of a Scholar and His Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of the Estate of Greville I. Bathe
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: ER.328990
label: accession number
content: 278175
label: catalog number
content: 328990
objectType: label: Object Name
content: toy steam engine & boiler
label: Object Name
content: toy, generator, steam engine and boiler
label: Object Name
content: toy, steam engine and boiler generator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: boiler - from catalog card: 6 in x 2 1/4 in; x 15.24 cm x 5.715 cm
label: Measurements
content: flywheel - from catalog card: 3 1/8 in; x 7.9375 cm
label: Measurements
content: base - from catalog card: 11 1/4 in x 9 1/2 in; x 28.575 cm x 24.13 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 1/8 in x 11 1/4 in x 9 1/2 in; 35.8775 cm x 28.575 cm x 24.13 cm