Toys

Christmas circa 1900-1905. Charles Willet grew up to be an electrician in Huntington, and died in 1962. His brother Miller studied printing and joined the Long Islander newspaper. Miller enlisted in the Navy during WWl and was a first-class seaman aboard the transport Princess Matolka. He died in 1920 after a long illness. From the Willet Collection.

Christmas brings joy and although many complain that it is emblematic of our modern-day hyper-consumerism, gift and toy- giving date back to ancient Rome when gifts were exchanged to celebrate the winter solstice. 

This photo of the Willet children, Miller and Charley, on Christmas day shows some popular toys of the day. Often toys or other details can help us ascertain the approximate date of the photo. The Lotto board game, popular at the time, was produced by the McLaughlin Brothers, New York and dates to the early 1900s. Like Bingo, the set consists of 23 cardboard cards and 89 wooden numbered pieces. The stand-up toy soldiers were usually made of cardboard and had wooden bases. Various companies such as McLoughlin Brothers designed toy soldiers representing various countries and uniforms.

Other toys of the early 20th Century include:

Crayola Crayons first made in 1903 by Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith. The first erector set introduced in 1913 by A.C. Gilbert. Raggedy Ann dolls came about in 1915 when newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruelle reproduced them from a doll he had made for his daughter. Lincoln Logs were introduced in 1916 by John Lloyd Wright.

This unidentified photo by Lyman Taft features Teddy Bears that first became popular during Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency. In 1902, they were officially named Teddy.

Early Sears and Roebuck Catalogue