German Toys in America

This exhibition features a colorful variety of 19th-century German wooden toys, from dolls and soldiers to arks and animals. During the period, around two-thirds of the toys in American shops came from Germany. Known as The Toy Workshop of the World and The Land of Toys, Germany dominated the toy market for most of the 19th century. American toy sellers ordered their merchandise through illustrated catalogs or sent agents to Germany who personally selected the best stock with which they filled their shelves.

Children played house with dolls, waged battles with soldiers, reenacted the great flood with an ark full of animals, created towns, and managed their own zoos. On view is a rare, 1840s German toy catalog featuring over 2,000 color illustrations. Next to this, visitors can digitally flip the pages of this catalog to see every toy.

This exhibition was made possible through the generosity of Don and Elaine Bogus.