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In modern times we see European countries producing a wide array of toys. This was basically an economic function. A Europe entered the industrial era and became wealthy, parents had more monmey to spend on their children. And this was no longer a small elite, but a large portion of the population. Industrial economies generated a substantial middle class--the largest middle class in all of human history. But it was not just the middle-class that had money to spend. The proleteriat working class also had money. Now compared to modern times, they did not have a lot of money, but they again were better off than ever before. They were thus better fed and better clothes than workers in any other era, especially agricultural workers which until the industrial revolution constituted the great bulk of the population. This of course varied from country to country. The most affluent workers were in those countries developing democratic political institutions. In this regard it should be noted that while Germany has a still governing monarchy, it had a parlimentarian system with a strong developing rule of law. Some of the countries with the largest toy industries included England, France, and Germany which of course were the countries with the largest industrial economies. And the toy industry became a part of the industrial economy. At the turn-of-the 20th century, even in the new industrial power of the United States, European toys were highly regarded. We see English toy soldiers, French bisque dolls, and German Steiff bears which today are precious collectors items. Japanese toy did not begin to make inroads until after World War I.
Of course play is a major interest of children. It is what children like to do more than anything else. And there are many play activities Some of the most important are toys, primarily for play in or around the home. Here we see a boy with a great toy bus. We do not yet have much information on the toys that Belgian children played with. We suspect that they were the same as French, Dutch, and German children played with, but we have very little information at this time. We see a Belgian boy, Prince Baodouin, playing with an electric train during Christmas. This is a scene that could have been replicated in any of those countries of course with more humble surroundings.
We note a little Czech boy, Karel Chech III, with two wonderful toy horses in 1947.
All of the major European countries had important toy industries. England was one of these countries. They also imported from other countries, especially Germany. Toys in the 19th century were often made out of wood, but we also see cast iron toys. We see animal figures (often done as pull toys), balls, blocks, dolls, hobby horses, horns, stuffed animals, tops, toy soldiers, and much more. Toys become even more diverse in the 20th century. Mechano sets, ??? trains, and match box cars were especially popular. There was considerable trade in toys across international borders before World war I. German companies lost many of their English markets as a result of the War. There was some recovery by the 1930s, but after the NAZI take over toy production was scaled back. Thus most English children had domestically produced toys. We believe that until after world war II, most toys were sild in department stores or small dedicated toy shops. Hopefully our English readers will tell us more about toys there. Photographs provide some information about period toysThis little English boy was photographed with what look to be his toys, probably in the 1920s (figure 1). Notice the studio back drop. Clearly this is not his home. Thus the toys appear to be those from the photographic studio. He has blocks and toy animals. They are not stuffed animals, I'm not sure about the material.
We do not have a lot of information on French toys yet. Many toys are similar from country to country. We note a La Samaritaine from the 1930s which illustrates popular toys. We seem to commonly note teddy bears (nomurs), blocks, bowling pins (skettles), drums, pull toys, puzzles, toy planes, trins, and cars. Toy soldiers seem to have been a real favorite, al least before World war I. We also notice toys and a game called diablo which seems destinctively French. Drrress up costumes, especially Indian gear, also appears popular.Hopefull our French readers will tell us more.
Perhaps no country is more associated with toys than Germany, at least before World War II. The photographic record prpvides a great deal of information about German toys. Especially helpful are all the Christmas tree photographs. Less common are birthday photographs.Christmas is the most important German holiday and a portrait of the children with all theior loot under the Christmas tree was a family tradition. German companies were renowned for teddy bears, dolls, trains and much more. German was known for stuffed animals, especially teddy bears, but there were many other animals as well. Pull toys were also popular. A good example is a little German boy's friends about 1930. Mechanical and electric trains were a particularly popular toy for German boys.
We see some images of toys in the Tsarist era. Children were some rimes pictures with toys in studio photography. This convention seems less commom than in the West. And of course it was almost all the prosperous upper and middle class in the cities. Rhe toys we dp see are the same as those in the West. Russia was still a largely agricultural society with al large rather poor rural population. We have no idea about toys the large numberr of children in the countryside played with. Many may have been home made. Neither do we know much about the toys that Russian children played with during the Soviet era. We suspect that many were the same as this familiar to children in the West. The few toys that we do see are simolar to those in the West. The same reason that there are relatively few Russian snapshots means that that Russian children had relatively few toys and we have very few images of thevtoys they dud have. The generally low incomes did not permit parents to purchase toys to the same degree as the West. Nor were toys during the Soviet period available in the same quality or quantity as in the West. Since the fall of Communism, Russia has increasingly participated in general European trends. This os especially the case of the prosperous sector of the major cities. Russian has continued, however, to be a realtively poor country. The economy is almost entirely based on the export of saw materails, rsoecially oil and gas--an anomoly for a major country. This is especially the case for a major industrial country. As a result, income and consumption levels are below the more prosperous European countries which of couese affects toys the children play with.
We have some limited information on Yougoslav toys. Time Magazine featured a 1935 article in which 11-year old King Peter bragged about Yugoslav toys, saying they were mostly electric. Actully most were hand crafted. [Yugoslavia:"] Slovenia bordering Austria was the most culturally Germaized area of Yugoslavia, having been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There was a tradition of handicrafts. Perhaps the best known toy industry was Mehnotehnika in Slovenia. Mehnotehnika produced erector sets and high-qualty metal toy cars. Mehnotehnika from the Slovenian Izola founded (1952) was once manufacturing very inventive toys. A source claims that these toys were a symbol of growing up for a generation of Yugoslav chuidren. Toys from Izola were labeled with 'Made in Yugoslavia' and alsoexported to Australia, Brasil, and Canada among other countries. Much of what we notice from Yugoslavia was knockoffs of popular Western boys toys and a pletora of dolls. Barbie seemns absent, perhsps because of the very un-Marxist focus on fashions. We see a lot of toy cars which is interesting because very few Yugoslavs could afford to own one, although Yugoskave industry cme out with the Yugo, arguably the worst car ever made. Here we have two Yugoslav children, we think a boy and girl, with toys guns about 1960. The girl wears a Yugoslav Army hat. Note one is ahand made wooden gun.
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