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String mechanism
Pulling on a string appears to be one of the oldest methods of animating a toy. A different method of using string to cause movement can be seen in acrobat torsion toys. Pendulum toys use string to different effect. A weight, attached by strings to the toy, is rotated, causing the toy to move.
Rocking toys
Early rocking horses, dating from the 17th century, have very large rockers with a carved horse's head and a seat for the child on top. By the 19th century these had developed into more realistic carved and painted, horses that were pegged to a rocker. Playing with these was believed to teach a child the principles of movement and balance needed for riding.
In the 1880s, rocking horses were produced that were mounted on swing bars, so the child could swing backwards and forwards in complete safety. The swing iron safety stand also allowed a longer swing, did not move across the floor and took up less space. This became the most popular type of rocking horse in the 20th century, with a wooden or moulded metal horse.
Pedal toys
Bicycles were developed during the 1860s and refined during the next two decades. Early bicycles (such as penny-farthings) had the pedals attached directly to the axle of the front wheel; pushing on the pedals turned the wheel. In modern bicycles the pedals are not attached directly to the wheel. The pedals drive a cogwheel, connected by a chain to another, that in turn drives the wheel.
Pedal cars were developed in the early 1900s. Early examples were moved by pushing pedals that were connected to the crankshaft by a chain. After 1918, pedals connected to levers replaced the crankshaft. These continued to be popular toys throughout the 20th century.
Spinning toys
There are several different kinds of spinning tops. In East Asia the conventional way of spinning the top is by using a string. By the late 16th century, tops like these were being used by adults in Britain.
A number of optical toys, developed in the early 19th century, use spinning to create moving pictures. One of these is the zoetrope invented in 1834. It consists of a metal drum pierced by a series of thin vertical slots. Paper strips, depicting a moving figure or object, are placed inside. When the child spins the drum and looks through the slots, the pictures appear to move. This is due to the principle of 'persistence of vision'; the brain remembers what the eye has seen for a fraction of a second and so 'pieces together' the separate pictures.
Wind-up toys
The simplest examples of wind-up toys are ones that use turning handles. Clockwork toys work on a similar principle to that of a spring. A steel coil is wound up with a key and then released. A balance wheel is used to control the speed of release and ensure that the rate of relaxation is uniform. This results in a consistent release of energy. Cogwheels are used to convert the energy into movement.
Battery-powered toys
Battery toys were first developed in the early 20th century. A battery contains special metals and acids that produce electricity. The electricity starts flowing when the ends, or terminals, of the battery are connected to form a loop or circuit. The electricity in a circuit from a battery will always flow in the same direction. Most battery-powered toys will have an electric motor. An electric motor consists of magnets and coils of wire; when electricity (from the battery) flows in the coiled wire it makes the motor turn.
Gravity toys
A number of toys use gravity to make them move. Early examples include pairs of tumblers from China that are weighted so that they will flip each other over as they 'tumble' down a series of steps. In the 19th century, British makers produced cheap versions of this toy, including figures that tumble down ladders.
Sand toys, developed in France around 1800 and popular until the 1880s, also use gravity. Cardboard figures, often of acrobats or trapeze artists, are enclosed in wooden boxes with a glass front. The mechanism works on a similar principle to an hourglass; the box is turned so that the sand is at the top, it trickles through a hole and turns a wheel. This sets in motion the figures that are connected to the wheel by wire or string.
Springs & Cogs
These toys move using the power of springs. You either push the spring down or wind it up. Simple spring toys store energy in a coil for a short time when you push it tightly together or pull it apart. When you let go, the energy is released making the toy move. Clockwork toys store energy for longer in a wound spring with a controlled release. These vary from sophisticated automata to cheap plastic walking toys. Friction toys also use clockwork mechanisms but the release of energy is not controlled. Cogwheels are used to convert the energy into movement.
The Jack-in-the-box is one of the best known toy that uses a spring to make it move. When the lid is pushed closed the spring is compressed; when it is opened the spring is released and the toy jumps up as far as the spring allows. The longer the coil of the spring, the greater the force of energy released. The toy originated in the 1500s when it was known as a Punch-box. This suggests that it may have been based on the puppet character that we know as Punch of Punch and Judy fame. Early examples have heads made from finely carved wood or papier mache that spring out of wooden boxes.
Simple wind-up toys use turning handles. On display is an example of a racing toy where the jockeys and riders are attached by strings to a drum inside a box; by turning the handle children coil the string around the drum and 'race' the horses to the post (1905-1910).
From about 1700, French craftsmen made expensive clockwork toys for wealthy adults out of materials such as silver. During the 1800s and 1900s, expensive clockwork toys, such as walking dolls were made. There were also cheap mass produced tin toys. Clockwork musical boxes are believed to have been developed by clockmakers in Switzerland from about 1700. They were not produced as children's toys until the 1800s. They continue to be popular today, particularly as jewellery boxes with revolving ballerinas.
Friction toys use a central wheel (the friction wheel) to make them move. It is wound up by pushing the rear wheels of the toy backwards or forwards against a flat surface. When the toy is placed on the ground the friction wheel provides momentum to the other wheels to move the toy. The Museum has various examples, dating from the 1920s to the 1970s, including tin cars, trains and animals.
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