Figure 1.--

There are some items that can not be called toys because they are more practical items. These are items that boys find interesting. Often we are taliking about older boys such as teengers, but younger boys can get started at an earlier age. Children don't really play with these items, but do things with them. Some examples are cameras, crystal sets (radios), ham radios, microscopes, telescopes, ham radios, and other items. The popularity of different technologies has varied over time. Cameras became popular in the 1900s when cameras appeared. Photography is, however, expensive, both the camera as well as film and developing. Crystal sets were all the rage in the 1920s. This was a less expensive undertaking. I rememnber ham radio being popular in the 1940s. One could buy kits to put your own radio together. Of course with the arrival of Sputnik (1957) and the space race, telescopes became popular. In recent years computers have been added to this list.

Cameras

Photography is, however, expensive, both the camera as well as film and developing. We notice many American boys taking an interest in photography. A reader writes, "I thought of the picture HBC has of the German boy photographing a big parade." Yes we want to link that and the other camera images here. There are also Kodak ads. As we find them we will make links here. A British reder writes, "The first camera I got was a Kodak Brownie 127 it was a camera best used outside on sunny days. I wanted to use it to take photographs of my train set. All sorts of ideas came into my head. Strapping the camera to a truck and taking pictures while the train was running round the track. Alas, there were no images because the camera did not have a flash attachment. I did keep a record of things I did and places I went to from 1962 to 1964 but the photographs have been lost. A pity!"

Crystal Sets

Crystal sets were all the rage in the 1920s. This was a less expensive undertaking. We note a lot of photographs from the 1920s showing American boys working with their radio sets. We also see Russian boys with radio sets.

Computers

In recent years computers have been added to this list. Modern kids can be really impressive on the computer. Not all kids, however, are computer wizzes. A reader writes, "There was a Reuter's news report this week about surfing the internet. The assumption was that children do this better than there parents. The research done in Californa showed that this was not so. Children had difficulty making online applications. In searching the web they gave up if the page they were looking at was difficult to navigate and there was only a short waiting time for pages to come up. If a page took too long then kids leave it. They also tend not to open pop -up boxes or sites they do not know which can introduce destructive viruses."

Ham Radios

I rememnber ham radio being popular in the 1940s. One could buy kits to put your own radio together.

Telescopes

Of course with the arrival of Sputnik (1957) and the space race, telescopes became popular.

Created: 3:52 AM 2/5/20055
Last updated: 5:33 PM 8/23/2006