Townsend, Tenn. – Bob Patterson, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center Director announced the opening of Child’s Play: 100 Years of Toys located inside the Proffitt’s Gallery in Main Gallery of the Heritage Center Museum.

“We are very pleased to announce the opening Child’s Play: 100 Years of Toys,” said Bob Patterson, Director. “This exhibit will bring back many childhood memories and a full range of emotions for those who come and see this exhibit. We have a wonderful collection of toys made of metal, porcelain, iron and plastic that represent toys over the past 100 years.”

The exhibit which will be on display through June 2014 is made possible through the generous support of the following individuals who donated their childhood toys to be a part of this exhibit.

David and Marty Black
Winfred and Dorothy Blair
Devan and Mary Brown
Robert and Patti Bub
Andy and Judy Simon
Boyce and Beth Smith

Child’s Play: 100 Years of Toys Exhibit Highlights

Louis Marx Toy Company / Tin Walt Disney Doll House
Founded in 1919, Louis Marx began a toy company with his brother David. Marx’s goal was to give the customer more toy for less money while quality was not negotiable. The Marx company expanded over the years, producing toys including Zippo the Climbing Monkey, toy trains and vehicles, “playsets” including “Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett at the Alamo,” “Wagon Train,” and dollhouses featuring tin lithography..

Toy Soldiers
Toy soldiers have been a popular toy for thousands of years. Military figures were found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The materials used to make the soldiers have changed over time to include: wood, lead, metal, plastic, aluminum, and even paper. These metal World War I soldiers were produced by the Manoil Manufacturing Company between the 1930s and 1950s.

Tonka Toys
In 1946, Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota . Their original intent was to manufacture garden implements. After some modifications to the design the addition of a new logo created with the Dakota Sioux word “Tanka” or Tonka, which means “Great” or “Big”, the company began selling metal toys. This soon became the primary business. On November 23, 1955, Mound Metalcraft changed its name to Tonka Toys Incorporated.

Barbie Dolls
Ruth Handler along with her husband Elliot created the idea of the Barbie dolls in the mid-1950s. Naming the doll after their daughter Barbara, the first Barbie debuted at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production. It is estimated that over a billion dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three dolls are sold every second.

Metal Trucks
Kenton Trucks, founded in Kenton, Ohio, the Kenton Hardware Company began as a lock manufacturing company, producing refrigerator locks until 1894. Though it produced several toys, the most popular were the horse drawn toys through 1930s.

Buddy L trucks
Buddy L trucks were first manufactured by the Moline Pressed Steel Company. The company opened in 1910 as an auto body parts manufacturing plant. In 1921 the company began making “all steel” toys including trucks. Soon after, the company created Buddy L “toys for boys” made of pressed steel. Some trucks were large enough to sit on and a move by pushing with feet, while some had handles so a child could pull the truck.

Porcelain Dolls
Porcelain and bisque dolls began appearing in the early 19th Century. Prior to porcelain and bisque dolls, dolls were at first carved wood, then paper mache dolls and wax dolls. Early dolls, while dainty and exquisite, had a pale and often translucent character. Many were made to represent adulthood rather than childhood. They were first produced in Germany, France, and Denmark.

Circus
With origins in ancient Rome, the circus has been the centerpiece of modern entertainment since the mid-1700s. The first American circus opened on April 3, 1793 in Philadelphia. A traditional circus performance is often led by a ringmaster who has a role similar to a Master of Ceremonies. The ringmaster presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the show moving. Most circus’ include animal performances, clowns, acrobatics, and “daredevil” stunts such as sword swallowing, human cannon ball, and fire breathing acts.

Lionel train
The Lionel Corporation is an American toy manufacturer and retailer that has been in business since 1901. Founded as an electrical company producing fans and lighting devices, Lionel specialized in various products throughout its existence, but toy trains and model railroads were its main claim to fame. Lionel trains were produced until 1969 and were admired by model railroaders from around the world for the detail and solid construction. In 2006, Lionel’s electric train became one of the first two electric toys to be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Winnie the Pooh
Alan Alexander Milne created the idea of Winnie-the-Pooh from his son, Christopher Robin’s teddy bear. Christopher named his toy bear after “Winnie” the bear at the London Zoo and “Pooh” after a swan he met while on vacation. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name on 24 December 1925, in a Christmas story published by a London newspaper. In 1961, Walt Disney was given the rights for publication of Winnie-the-Pooh. Pooh videos, soft toys, and other merchandise generate substantial annual revenues for Disney.

Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, and former U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. She began her film career in 1932 at the age of three, and in 1934, found international fame in Bright Eyes, a feature film designed specifically for her talents.

Tinker Toys
The Tinkertoy Construction Set is a toy construction set for children. It was created in 1914 by Charles H. Pajeau, Robert Pettit, and Gordon Tinker in Evanston, Illinois. Pajeau, a stonemason, designed the toy after seeing children play with sticks and empty spools of thread. The set changed since 1914. In the 1950s, the natural wooden sticks changed to brightly colored sticks, and presently there are sets which are entirely plastic.

The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is 501 c3 Museum and Cultural Center. The Heritage Center is open Monday thru Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and on Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm starting in April. Admission is free for Heritage Center members, Adults $6.00 ,Seniors 60 plus and children ages 6 – 17 $4.00, children 5 and under are free.

Closed Easter Sunday.