* boys' toys : country trends France specific toys








French Toys: Specific Toys


Figure 1.-- Here we see a French boy wearing a sailor suit playing "twin wheel". It was more commonly called diabolo. The boy seems quite a competent player. The postcard was mailed in 1908. The card reads, "You can't see it, this means it is in heaven. To see it back, open your two eyes wide. Source: A. Noyer No. 600.

We note a wide range of French toys in the photographic record. We seem to commonly note teddy bears (nomurs), blocks, bowling pins (skettles), drums, pull toys, puzzles, toy planes, trains, and cars. Toy soldiers and toy guns seem to have been a real favorite, at least before World war I. We suspect French parents no longer approve. We also see puppets and marionettes. We notice tops and a game called diabolo which seems destinctively French. Dress up play costumes, especially Indian gear, also appears popular. The boy here wears an elaborate Zouave costume. This is of course a commercial post card. Few boys actually had elaborate costumes like this. Girls of course liked dolls. Baby carriages were popular accessories.

Blocks


Bowling Game

we notice bowling pins. I think it was a came called skettles.

Costumes

Dress up play costumes, especially Indian gear, also appears popular. We notice one image of a boy in an elaborate Zouave costume. This is of course a commercial post card. Few boys actually had elaborate costumes like this.

Dolls

Girls of course liked dolls. Baby carriages were popular accessories.

Meccano (Erector) Sets

Another toy for boys in France were Meccano sets. We mote Meccano sets in the 1930s-40s, except for the EWar period. We are, however, unsure about the full chronology. We believe they were popular, but have no idea just how popular. The idea of building things tends to appeal to boys across cultures. We suspect, however, there are differences among countries as a result of wider cultural patterns. There are countries which are known for engineering genius. And this probably is reflected in both the interests of children as well as the activities offered to children. We are not sure just gow France fits into this pattern. We are not sure how the Meccano sets compared in popularity France with other countries like American and Britain. It is notable that the French erector sets were Meccano, a toy licensed from the British company. Hopefully our French readers can tell us more.

Musical Instruments

we notice drums and buggles. this seem standard for many countries.

Pull Toys


Puppets and Marionettes

We also see puppets and marionettes.

Puzzles


Roller Skates

We are not sure just when roller skates appeared in France. There were skates being used in Europe during the 18th century. The first patent was issued to French inventor M. Petitbled (1819). They were not designed for children as they were expensive. American companiess begsan mass producing roller skates (1880s). This briught the price down and they began to be popular for children. A basic limitation here was the need for a smmoth surface. Sidewalks were great for roller skates, but were less available in Europe than Amnerica. (Cities dating from the Middle Ages are less likely to have smooth sidewalks and streets.) Rollar skates seem to have been particularly popular in France during the inter-War and immediate post-war period. In America they seem more popular for girls than boys, especially after World War II. Most if the French images we have found show boys roller skating, This was primarily a city activity as a snooth, paved surface was required. Roller skating continues to be popular in France, although for vrious types of more adult skating activities such as inline skating and quad roller skating. We note speed inline skating, artistic roller skating, inline and roller hockey in France, and many other skating disciplines.

Spinning Toys

We notice tops. They seemed to have been very popular in the early 20th century. There was also a game called diabolo which seems destinctively French. The boy here weareing a sailor suit (figure 1) is playing with a diabolo. It was two sticks and a connecting string. I think you tried to keep a kind of groved wheel spinning on the string and perioidically tossing it up and catching it, which I think explains the caption. I'm not sure about the chronology here, but diabolo seems to have been very common in the early 20th century. For some reason it was especially common in post card depictions.

Stuffed Animals

We seem to commonly note teddy bears (nomurs). They seem more assciated with Germany and America, byt wre popular in France as well. A French reader indicated that teddies ("nounours") were not common in France until the 1930s. Teddy bears are not as an effective indicator of gender as of chronology. They were, however, quite strongly associated with boys in France. Girls were much more likely to have dolls. A French reader reports, "I must add in France that little boys pften played with cloth-doll. After 1930, the mothers preferd to replace the doll with "nounours" (teddy bears) (pronounced: noo-noo-rs. Today all little French boys (sometime till 12 years old!) have a nounours. It is common for children in nursery school to bring their nounours to nursery school. So little boys often set off the nursery school with "nounours" in their backpacks. "Nounours" are now a very important companion for all French children. They often have many, but usually only one is there veryb favorite. Nowadays the classic teddy has been replaced by an other animal character such as Mickey Mouse or other according to the imagination of toy companies. finding in the shops. A French reader writes, "One of my daughters are very fond of "nounours" and has a huge collection. My little granson (5 years old) never forget to bring his favorite 'nounour' when he comes to visit."

Toy Soldiers

Toy soldiers and toy guns seem to have been a real favorite, at least before World war I. We see numerous images of French boys with toy soldiers. We note that they were done in various styles and sizes. Most were dome in a realistic style. This was especially true of the metal soldiers which were hand pinted. There were also wood soldiers. The soldiers were done for various wars and representing different armies. I am not sure, but I think they were made in France. Would French parents buy soldiers made in Germany? I recall as a boy prized toy soldiers made in Britain. There are wonderful images showing boys playing with these soldiers. We notice a commercial post card with a boy in a Zouave costume olating with his toy soldiers. We think that the elaborate costume was not common, bur boys playing with toy soldiers we believe was very common. These were beautifylly finished toys. Today we notice in America all that is available is shoddt platic soldiers that ate not even paunted. We wonder if French parents may have had second thoughts about military theme toys after the World War I, but we are not sure. We do not see postcards with tiy soldiers after the War, but that may reflect postcard them selection and not actual child play. We are not sure about modern trends, but we do not think toy soldiers are very popular any more in France. We suspect this reflects parental attitudes more than children's preferences.

Toy Vehicles

Vehicles make for popular toys. Here we nostly see boys and not the girls. Horses were popular in the 19th century. As technology developed we see vehicles being made into toys, including shis, trains, cars, and planes. There were different types, including stand alone toys and pull toys. Boats were made with sails. Unlike the other toy vehicles. Many of these sailboats were designed to be taken out to local parks and sailed in the ponds there. This was a vedry populat activity for urban boys, the f=girls were less interested, througout France. Trains were done as wind ups and evetually electrical trains. Electrical trains were popular with older boys who could master the complexity.







HBC






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Created: 1:30 AM 3/21/2006
Last updated: 10:50 AM 10/26/2020