1950s Toys and Games

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1 1950s Toys and Games In 1948 Enid Blyton published the first of a series of books telling the story of Noddy, a nodding doll, and his adventures in Toyland. One of the most famous characters to emerge out of 20th century childrens' literature, Noddy's adventures in Toyland were enjoyed by millions worldwide. Big Ears the pixie, Mr and Mrs Tubby the teddy bears and PC Plod were all characters that starred alongside Noddy in his adventures. This Big Ears hand puppet is just one of the many pieces of merchandise that was produced to complement the books and later the television series. It dates to around 1950 and belongs to the Pontefract Museum collection. Dolls have always been regarded as precious objects. They were originally used in religious ceremonies as effigies. However, as belief systems changed, their uses became less important and they were passed down to children to use as play things. Many have been found by archaeologists at burial sites, especially in those belonging to the ancient Egyptians. Dolls have been made out of many materials over the centuries from wood to wax, ceramic to composites such as papier-mâché. The material can be easily identified by its look or touch. Wood, wax, vinyl and composites are all warm to the touch, whereas ceramic, especially porcelain and bisque feel cold. Porcelain is often shiny because it is glazed, whereas bisque is unglazed and shows a more natural skin colour.

2 Before television was invented, children spent more time playing games. Some of the most popular games were board games that could be stored in a box and brought out to be played with. Some games were very simple just using counters and dice where others were more mechanical, using levers and magnets. This remote control driving game was a 1950s precursor to the electronic remote controlled vehicles played with by children today. Using a simple scissors mechanism and a number of magnets children were able to guide the replica cars along a network of roads. The hen pecker is an old traditional design that was popular in both the Victorian era and throughout the 20th century. Simple and portable, it presents scientific principles in a fun way. Based on the principles of levers and motion, the wooden hens would peck the ground as the movement of the weight below pulled their strings. An unsophisticated design, it was cheap and easy to make from wood. It soon became one of the most common home-made toys in 20th century Britain, with children often carrying them around in their pockets.

3 Before Victorian times people travelled on horseback or in vehicles pulled by horses. The first toy trains were made soon after the first real trains began to run in the 1820s. Toy trains could be powered in many different ways. Some trains had to be pushed or pulled. Others went by themselves like real trains or by clockwork. Clockwork trains like the one in the picture did not run for very long before the clockwork ran down. This train is made by Hornby, a British toy making company and is somewhat of a collector's item. Due to their versatility, paper and card became popular materials for toy making in the 18th century. Paper dolls were the most successful, illustrating fashions of the day, famous people or characters from stories. They continued to be popular throughout the 20th century with postcards being a favourite way to circulate them amongst children. This postcard cut out is based on the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet and was produced in the 1950s.

4 Before the advent of motion pictures Victorians entertained themselves by giving slide shows using magic lantern projectors. Although motion pictures had become a popular means of family entertainment by the 1950s, it was still very expensive to replicate such animation in a child's toy. Therefore the affordable alternative was to revert to Victorian slide show principles but using modern materials and animated characters. The Walt Disney character Donald Duck had his first outing in June 1934 and went on to star in over 128 animated cartoons. He has become one of Disney's biggest stars with his image still appearing on a multitude of merchandising products, such as these slides. Rocking horses were very popular in the 19th and early 20th century. In this period we see the rise of the middle classes, a group of people who were 'well off' as opposed to being extremely rich or extremely poor. They could afford to spend more on their children, so more expensive toys like the rocking horse became more common. Why the rocking horse was invented is uncertain. Perhaps it was to help children learn to ride, or just to expend their energy without them running around the house. They did however enable children to imitate their elders, with the horse copying real modes of transport before the invention of the motorcar. Hobby horses were the cheap alternative to the rocking horse. Made out of an old broom handle and a decorated cloth head, they were a popular alternative to the rocking horse in poorer households.

5 Teddies are very special toys. Many grown-ups still have the teddy that they played with when they were young. We can tell how well loved a teddy has been by how worn it looks today. In 1902 the American President Theodore Roosevelt caught a baby bear. The president's nickname was Teddy. A toy maker called one of his bears teddy's bear. Soon the name 'teddy bear' was used for all toy bears. This teddy bear is part of Wakefield Museum's collections. It dates from the late 1940s and was certainly well loved. Cash registers were invented in the 1880s to prevent shop assistants making mistakes with customers' change. This toy till is mechanically operated, not electronically and it uses pounds, shillings and pence. It was made before the introduction of decimal currency in Children often play with toys that replicate adult work and life. Toy tills like these were designed to be educational, helping children to develop their numeracy skills.