Over a century ago, writer H.G. Wells predicted the possibility of time travel in his book “The Time Machine”.
Pure science fiction? Well, maybe not!
Anyone who has ever found a toy they once had as a child knows the sensation of traveling back in time. Holding that favorite truck or doll again can transport us back to the joys of our youth like nothing else.
The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum is giving patrons a ride in that time machine with its new exhibit: “Toy Classics.” The exhibit features a variety of original and reproduction toys which were popular with children born between 1945 and 1980.
Special toys highlighted include Mattel’s Barbie, Hasbro’s G.I. Joe, and Johnny West by Marx. Classic playsets such as the Marx Civil War set “Blue and the Gray,” and the 1950s television inspired “Super Circus” are also included.
Disney figures, super heroes, toy automobiles, ships and planes, dolls and doll houses, space ships and much more are also featured.
In addition to the toys themselves, there will be reproductions of old holiday catalogue ads and information on the toys and the people who created them. Videos of old toy commercials from the 1950s through the 1970s will also be shown.
Sand Springs resident Rodney Echohawk, exhibit coordinator for Toy Classics, says the idea for such a show was a departure from what most people would expect to see in a museum.
“Toys have been around since ancient Egypt and are found in every country and era,” he said. “While most people would agree toys are playthings meant to be fun, they are really much more. Toys have been used to develop a child’s motor skills and recognition and to promote creativity.”
He added: “A lot of toys were used to instill cultural roles, especially during the Baby Boomer era. Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs inspired budding architects and contractors while baby dolls and toy ovens taught homemaking skills to generations of little girls. Today’s toys are more of the electronic, virtual kind. So for many youngsters the exhibit might give them a glimpse at toys they never knew existed.”
As for those ages 30 and over, “Toy Classics” might bring sighs of nostalgia for lost playthings their moms threw out or put in garage sales.
“We hope the exhibit will appeal to men and women and boys and girls of all ages. We wanted to tie ‘Toy Classics’ into the holiday season. And we may have some other retro items on display to match the time of year,” Echohawk said.
The Museum is located at 9 E. Broadway St. in the heart of downtown Sand Springs, Oklahoma. It is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call (918) 246-2509.
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Posted by JuliusMarx |
