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To sort out who's who and what's what in the enchanting, vexing world of Barbies(R) and Ninja Turtles(R), Tinkertoys(R) and teddy bears, is to begin to see what's become of childhood in America. It is this changing world, and what it unveils about our values, that Gary Cross explores in Kids' Stuff, a revealing look into the meaning of American toys through this century. Early in the 1900s toys reflected parents' ideas about children and their futures. Erector sets introduced boys to a realm of business and technology, while baby dolls anticipated motherhood and building blocks honed the fine motor skills of the youngest children. Kids' Stuff chronicles the transformation that occurred as the interests and intentions of parents, children, and the toy industry gradually diverged--starting in the 1930s when toymakers, marketing playthings inspired by popular favorites like Shirley Temple and Buck Rogers, began to appeal directly to the young. TV advertising, blockbuster films like Star Wars(R), and Saturday morning cartoons exploited their youthful audience in new and audacious ways. Meanwhile, powerful social and economic forces were transforming the nature of play in American society. Cross offers a richly textured account of a culture in which erector sets and baby dolls are no longer alone in preparing children for the future, and in which the toys that now crowd the racks are as perplexing for parents as they are beguiling for little boys and girls. Whether we want our children to be high achievers in a competitive world or playful and free from the worries of adult life, the toy store confronts us with many choices. What does the endless array of action figures and fashion dolls mean? Are children--or parents--the dupes of the film, television, and toy industries, with their latest fads and fantasies? What does this say about our time, and what does it bode for our future? Tapping a vein of rich cultural history, Kids' Stuff exposes the serious business behind a century of playthings.
From the 1890s to the 1970s, the thriving area of Birmingham between Eighteenth and Twenty-first Streets along First, Second, and Third Avenues was the bustling heart of this quickly growing city. Before the age of the shopping mall, the downtown was the center of retail and entertainment in Birmingham. Along these streets, entrepreneurial immigrants built department storesincluding Pizitz and Loveman, Joseph, and Loebwhile the marquees of the Alabama, Ritz, and Lyric theaters, among others, shined over the busy downtown sidewalks.
If you're like most of us, the mailman's annual delivery of Sears, Roebuck and Company's Christmas Catalog was a holiday event in years past. American children watched the mailbox carefully for those wondrous old catalogs. They were full of childhood fantasies... enough toys, dolls, trains and bikes to make any kid start writing his or her letter to Santa Claus. That's probably why the nickname "Wishbook" stuck. And if you grew up during the Baby Boomer years of the Fifties and Sixties, there's big news. Those lost Wishbook pages full of wonderful toys targeted to girls have been reproduced in Girls' Toys, a new book containing authorized reproductions of the best girl-toy pages from 1950 through 1969. Girls' Toys and its companion book Boys' Toys are two in a series of Sears catalog re-issues. This 8 1/2 x 11" softcover book's 192 pages illustrate hundreds of now-collectible toys and dolls: Barbi and Ken, Shirley Temple, Lucy and Desi's Little Ricky, Betsy Wetsy and Troy Tears dolls, dollhouses and accessories, kid-sized kitchens, tea sets, dress-up outfits, bicycles, games and movie-TV-themed toys from Mary Poppins to the Flintstones. Included is a commentary on the toys, their manufacturers and historical relevance. Particular attention is paid to the manner in which young girls' toys were marketed, often perceived as negative messages in these enlightened times. Put on your Dale Evans Cowgirl Hat and settle in for hours of fond childhood memories. Girls' Toys is fun reading for anybody... male or female... toy fan or not. It's an invaluable reference source for serious collectors and history buffs, too. -- Jam-packed with warm and happy childhood memories. Hundreds ofphotographs and illustrations with accompanying commentary -- A "must have" reference volume for all toy, antique and memorabilia enthusiasts
If you're like most of us, the mailman's annual delivery of Sears, Roebuck and Company's Christmas Catalog was a holiday event in years past. Most American children watched the mailbox carefully for those wondrous old catalogs. They were chock full of childhood fantasies... enough toys, dolls, trains and bikes to make any kid start writing his or her letter to Santa Claus. That's probably why the nickname "Wishbook" stuck. And if you grew up during the Baby Boomer years of the Fifties and Sixties, there's big news. Those lost Wishbook pages full of wonderful toys targeted to boys have been reproduced in Boys' Toys, an exciting new book containing authorized reproductions of the very best boy-toy pages from 1950 through 1969. Boys' Toys and its companion book Girls' Toys are two in a series of Sears catalog re-issues covering the spectrum of toys, dolls and other popular collectibles of the Fifties and Sixties. This 8 fi x 11 softcover book's 192 pages illustrate hundreds of now-collectible toys. All the best are represented: Lionel trains, Marx playsets, Remco's "Toys for Boys" G.I. Joe, Matchbox cars, Tonka trucks... all the way to Sixties space-age robots, rockets, and flying saucers! Included too, is a year-by-year commentary on the toys, their manufacturers and historical relevance. So put on your Davy Crockett coonskin cap and settle in for hours of fond childhood memories. Boys' Toys is fun reading for anyone... male or female... toy fan or not. It's an invaluable reference source for serious collectors and history buffs, too. -- Jam-packed with warm and happy childhood memories. Hundreds of photographs and illustrations with accompanying commentary -- A "must have"reference volume for all toy, antique and memorabilia enthusiasts
For decades, the Christmas season in Birmingham was not complete without the sights and sounds of the retail district. During the season, the Magic City made magic with elaborate light displays and the Living Christmas Tree in Woodrow Wilson Park. Many remember the battling Santas of Loveman's and Pizitz, each vying for the hearts of the community. The elaborate Enchanted Forest dazzled shoppers on the sixth floor at Pizitz. In the 1940s, more than 200,000 people lined the streets each year to make merry for the Christmas Carnival parade. Author and local historian Tim Hollis celebrates the happy history of Birmingham's holiday season, reviving the traditions and festivities, the food and shopping of days gone by.
Science fiction, as the name suggests, is the combination of science and fantasy. In addition to a literary form, it also encompasses film, TV, comics, toys and our beloved toy astronauts, or other figures such as aliens, monsters and other playable genres. The term science fiction was coined by publisher Hugo Gernsbach around the first decades of the last century to refer to the predominantly 'space' adventures covered in his magazines. Space invaded radio, cinema, TV, and consequently for a long time toy figurines were predominantly space-related, later evolving into other themes. This lavishly illustrated book covers both the history of literary science fiction, following in the footsteps of contemporary official criticism, and toy figurines inspired by science fiction. You will also find several other themes, such as the link between science fiction figures and cinema, radio, TV, comics, and more. Luigi Toiati offers to both guide the reader on an often-nostalgic walk through science fiction in all its various forms, and to describe the figurines and brands associated with it.
For generations, the much-anticipated arrival of the Sears gift catalog signaled the start of the holiday season. This faithful facsimile of the retailer's 1942 Christmas edition offers a nostalgia-inducing chance to relive those bygone years, when turning the pages of a catalog could excite young minds with dreams of a shiny toy truck or a new doll under the tree. A unique collectible, The 1942 Sears Christmas Book also provides an interesting look at how merchandise has evolved over the years. In 1942, Sears shoppers could purchase toys as well as housewares, clothes, furniture, candy, and gifts to send to servicemen (all at prices that now seem astonishingly low). The wartime catalog even includes information about the importance of saving scrap metal for munitions and encourages readers to buy war bonds. A new Introduction by Ben B. Judd, Jr., PhD, the former chair of the University of New Haven Department of Marketing and International Business, provides thought-provoking insights into the catalog's importance to rural America and the recent downfall of the retail giant.
Faithful reprint of the retailer's Christmas catalog offers a nostalgia-inducing look at consumer goods of the 1940s, from toys to housewares, clothing, furniture, candy, and a selection of gifts for servicemen.
Exploring the experiences of children encountering war and armed conflict, this book draws upon history, ethnography, sociology, literature, media studies, psychology, public policy, and other disciplines to address children as soldiers, refugees, and peace-builders within their social, cultural, and political contexts.