Decorative Arts o Costumes o Toys o Fine Arts o Tools o Music o Transportation

It's Child's Play
Playthings ~ Clothing

Mechanical Bank, ca. 1877

Doll and Toy Piano, 1800s

Teddy Bear

Child's Tea Set, ca. 1900

Toys have not fundamentally changed over 200 years, but rather have adapted to new technologies. Over time, dolls were made in all materials- from cloth and cornhusks to porcelain, wax and now plastics. There is little substantive difference between a Barbie with her available designer outfits and the fashion china doll of the 1860s. Children continue to play with balls, trains, or blocks whether made from wood, tin or plastic. A teddy bear of almost 100 years ago is not markedly different from today's bears. And it is perhaps these unchanging qualities that make toys seductive and evocative for adults. As our adult life changes we are able to find continuity and, perhaps, nostalgic comfort in similar toys and play with our own children. But perhaps the most significant constant in child's play over the centuries is the child's own imagination. An active imagination in both children and adults makes everything seem like child's play.