This site requires Javascript to be turned on. Please enable Javascript and reload the page.

Notes from Toyland: 100 years of Toys and Games in Montana

"The Lone Ranger" was one of the highest rated television shows of the 1950s. It starred Mohawk actor Jay Silverheels as the Native American character Tonto, the co-lead of the series.

This page is referenced by:

Sources

Exhibit background: "Children's Games" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1560

Toys for the Holidays:
Making toys

	-Toy knight, circa 1500; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna -Terracotta bird figurine, 4th century BC.; Archaeological Museum of Arta -Black-glazed wheeled horse, circa 950 BCE; Kerameikos Museum, Athens -Joan of Arc miniature, circa 1932; Boston Children's Museum -Syrian top, similar to a Jewish dreidel, circa 1500 BCE -Spinning top made of wood and stone, made in the Torres Straights, circa 1850; The British Museum -Wooden top from Zuni Pueblo,circa 1920; The British Museum -Tops and launching sticks for the Hmong game Tuj Lub, circa 1980; The Strong National Museum of Play
Selling toys

	-Wide World Game, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1997.003.192 -Porter Microcraft Microscope, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2004.063.047 -Spell-It game board, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1983.053.001 -Felt-O-Gram, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1997.003.184 -Dr. McCoy's Medical Kit, 1999; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1999.014.001 -Little Tykes toy car, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1992.047.022 -Mickey Mouse card game, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1996.043.027 -Stop & Go, by Shell Oil, circa 1930s; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1997.003.163
Buying toys

	Model camel pulling a cart, circa 1900; La Nef des Jouets, Soultz-Haut-Rhin, France -Model of Leipzig, Germany, made with penny toys; Stadtgeschichtliches Museum, Leipzig -Model clowns throwing a ball, circa 1900; Museum of London -Toy soldier, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2005.062.124 -Letitia Penn doll, first known European doll in the United States, circa 1669; Philadelphia History Museum -Josephina doll, introduced in 1997 as part of the American Girls doll line -Jointed doll from Attica, early 4th Century; private collection of Argyriadi, Benaki Toys Department, Phaliro, Athens -Raggedy Ann doll, 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.001.001
Giving toys

	Kutztown Historical Society model train display, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, 2018 -The Frank DeRosa Railroad Museum, Havre, Montana, 2018 -InfoAge Science Center, Wall Township, New Jersey, 2016 -Montana Museum of Railroad History, Great Falls, Montana, 2014 -Mutton Teddy Bear, Montana Bucky Bears 'N Stuff -"Teddy's Bear," the first named Teddy Bear, circa 1902, National Museum of American History -Teddy bears on display in Missoula during the COVID-19 closures, March 2020, courtesy of Karen Henrickson -Paddington Bear, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2005.019.081
A century of toys:
In the 1900s

	-Pull along toy, circa 1900; V&A Museum, MISC.20-1975 -The Billings Gazette, Dec. 9, 1906 -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1907 -Train set, 1900s; V&A Museum, MISC.895:1 to 13-1986. -Lionel #6 Standard Gauge, circa 1906; The Train Collectors Association -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1907 -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1907 -The Missoulian, Dec. 13, 1900 -The Missoulian, Dec. 13, 1905 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1986.009.032 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1986.009.034 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1986.009.033 -The Missoulian, Dec. 13, 1905 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1998.033.001 -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1907 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1985.021.001 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.052.264 -The Semiweekly Billings Gazette, Dec. 7, 1909 -The Semiweekly Billings Gazette, Dec. 11, 1908 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.010.001 -Red Lodge Picket, Dec. 19, 1902 -The Butte Miner, Dec. 22, 1900 -The Billings Gazette, Jan 10, 1909 -The Anaconda Standard, Dec. 3, 1904 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1991.017.016 -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1905 -The Butte Miner, Jan. 15, 1909 -The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1906 -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1907 -The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1907 -HMFM Permanent Collection, 1984.018.002 -Cast iron toy ice wagon pulled by two black horses, circa 1900s; Missouri Historical Society, 1986-084-0017 -Diagram and text adapted from De Luikerwaal, the Dutch Virtual Magic Lantern Museum -Pictured lantern from the HMFM permanent collection -Christiaan Huygens' sketches of Death taking of his head, intended for projection with his lantern, 1659
In the 1910s

	-Velocipede, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1910 -Handcar, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1910 -Velocipede, The Butte Miner, Dec. 3, 1911 -Advertisement for the Fairy Line tricycle, made by the Colson Company, 1919 -Bicycle, The Missoulian, Apr. 22, 1917 -Paper doll clothes, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.001b -Paper doll clothes, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.002b -Paper doll clothes, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.001a -Paper doll clothes, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.002a -Paper doll, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.001d -Paper doll clothes, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.001c -Dolls, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1913 -Paper doll, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.002d -Paper doll clothes, HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.056.002c -Gilbert Machine Gun, Great Falls Tribune, Dec. 6, 1919 -King Air Rifles, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1911 -Attractive Toy French Gun, Great Falls Tribune, Dec. 6, 1919 -Machine gun, Great Falls Tribune, Dec. 6, 1919 -Mechanical train, The Butte Daily Post, Dec. 14, 1911 -Toy train, The Billings Gazette, Dec. 14, 1915 -Lionel locomotive with brass boiler and nickle can, circa 1910s -Lionel electric locomotive, circa 1910s -Toy train with track, Great Falls Tribune, Dec. 5, 1915
In the 1920s

	-The Butte Miner, Dec. 9 1923 -Chad Valley Great British Bear, circa 1920s -Kanga, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, circa 1923; The New York Public Library, 093b34a0-c62c-012f-4958-58d385a7bc34 -Deans Blue Bear, circa 1920s -Fadap Frederick, circa 1920; Teddy Bear Museum, 161A -Folding Blackboard, The Anaconda Standard, Dec. 4, 1926 -Blackboard, The Billings Gazette, Dec. 13, 1925 -Blackboard, The Butte Miner, Dec. 9, 1923 -Blackboard, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Gilbert Erectors, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Wireless Telegraphy, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Gilbert Toy Motors, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Gilbert Chemistry, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Gilbert Electrical Sets, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Gilbert Air-Kraft, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1922 -Advertisement for the Hornby Clockwork Train, circa 1920s -Toy Steam Locomotive, circa 1925; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2583-2 -Model steam locomotive, 1925; National Railway Museum, 1978-8819 -Hornby Railway Wagon, circa 1926; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2587-3 -Toy Railway Wagon, circa 1923; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2585-164 -Toy Railway Van, 1924; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2585-39 -Bleriot XI from kit, circa 1920s; National Model Aviation Museum, 2014.47 -Aeroplane, The Anaconda Standard, Dec. 4, 1921 -Automobile, The Billings Gazette, Dec. 13, 1925 -Steam Shovel, The Missoulian, Dec. 23, 1927 -Boat, The Billings Gazette, Dec. 13, 1925 -Steam Shovel, The Billings Gazette, Dec. 13, 1925 -Bisque doll, circa 1920; V&A Museum, MISC.39-1964 -Bisque doll with quivering tongue, circa 1920; V&A Museum, MISC.20-1974 -Bisque-headed doll, circa 1920; V&A Museum, MISC.8-1964 -French doll named "Joann Nanette", 1925; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2006.026.001 -"Mama" Talking Doll, The Missoulian, Dec. 23, 1923 -Christmas Doll, The Anaconda Standard. Dec. 4, 1926 -Christmas Doll, The Anaconda Standard. Dec. 4, 1926 -Christmas Doll, The Anaconda Standard. Dec. 4, 1926 -#2007 Mysto Magic Exhibition set, circa 1929/30, Mysto Manufacturing Company -A.C. Gilbert posing with a Ferris wheel Erector Set model, Gilbert Family Collection -Gilbert Erector Instruction Book, circa 1959 -Mysto Manufacturing Company Erector Set, California State Railroad Museum -A.C. Gilbert, Jr. with an Erector Set model, Gilbert Family Collection -Gilbert Chemistry set, 1940s; Shoreline Historical Museum, Shoreline, Washington -Gilbert Wireless Telegraph set, 1920 -Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory kit, 1950 -Gilbert Microscope set, circa 1940s-1960; Science History Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In the 1930s

	-Celluloid doll, circa 1937; V&A Museum, MISC.271-1982 -Composition doll, circa 1930s; V&A Museum, B.355: 1 to 8 -2012 -Shirley Temple Paper Dolls, 1934; Boston Children's Museum -Celluloid doll, 1935; V&A Museum, MISC.31-1964 -Doll carriage, Great Falls Tribune, Nov. 25, 1937 -African American doll, 1933; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.023.001 -Rag doll, circa 1937; V&A Museum, MISC.165-1978 -Girl doll, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1936 -Ingersoll Mickey Mouse Mechanical watch, circa 1935 -Vintage German Animated Pendulette Miniature Wall Clock Bird & Tree, circa 1930s -Toy Watch, the Hardin Tribune-Herald, Dec. 5, 1930 -G-Man Machine Gun, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1936 -Toy airship named ‘Macon’ made of tinplate, circa 1930s; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2571-103 -Sparkling Army Tank, The Billings Gazette, Dec. 9, 1937 -Tomiyama tin toy Curtis biplane, circa 1935; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2571-109 -Machine Gun, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1938 -Repeater Pistol, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1936 -Shooting Game, The Independent Record, Dec. 12, 1935 -Nestor Johnson Ladies's Hi-Speed Racers, The Montana Standard, Nov. 25, 1934 -Nestor Johnson Men's Hi-Speed Racers, The Montana Standard, Nov. 25, 1934 -Flexible Flyer sled, circa 1930s; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2006.010.001 -Skates, The Montana Standard, Dec. 4, 1937 -Steering Sled, The Montana Standard, Jan. 24, 1937 -Sled, The Montana Standard, Dec. 4, 1937 -Prototype board for what would become Criss-Cross Words, the predecessor to Scrabble, circa 1930s-1940s; National Scrabble Association -"Go to the Head of the Class" game board; BoardGameGeek -"The Great Game Sorry" game board, 1934; The Strong National Museum of Play -"The Jury Box" game box; BoardGameGeek "The Landlord's Game" Gameboard, 1906; LandlordsGame.Info.
In the 1940s

	-Bicycle, The Montana Standard, Oct. 31, 1947 -Adjustable saddle tricycle, Great Falls Tribune, Nov. 15, 1947 -Grieder Flyer Tricycle, 1940; Classic Cycle museum -Schwinn New World, 1945; Classic Cycle museum -Monark Silverking Hex Bar, 1948; Classic Cycle museum -Electric Washing Machine, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1946 -Cinderella Cleaning Set, The Daily Inter Lake, Dec. 1, 1948 -Toy electric mixer, 1940; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1997.003.085 -Little Chef Eletric Stove, The Billings Gazette, Nov. 19, 1949 -Dollhouse washing machine, circa 1943; Museum of Vancouver, H990.251.58a-b -Play Doctor Kit, Great Falls Tribune, Nov. 15, 1947 -Play Nurse Kit, Great Falls Tribune, Dec. 18, 1941 -Army Nurse's Kit, The Billings Gazette, Nov. 12, 1942 -Army nurse kit with uniform, The Missoulian, Dec. 3, 1945 -De Luxe Playtime Medical Kits -Toy Bassinette, Independent Observer, Nov. 6, 1947 -Patty-Jo doll, circa 1948 -Nancy doll, circa 1945; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2007.049.012 -Doll, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1946 -Doll Buggie, The Missoulian, Dec. 9, 1949 -De Luxe Stock Farm, The Billings Gazette, Nov. 5, 1948 -Ranch set with bull, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1993.012.001 -Latex bear squeeze toy, 1940; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1998.003.001 -Leather stuffed camel toy, circa 1940; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2007.022.001 -Toy dog, circa 1940s; The Museum of English Rural Life, 2010/167/139 -Toy donkey, circa 1940s; The Museum of English Rural Life, 2010/167/133 -Marx O Gauge freight set, circa 1940 -Lionel B-6 Switcher Steam, circa 1940s -Freight train, Great Falls Tribune, Nov. 15, 1947 -Handmade Union Pacific pull toy locomotive, 1946; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1982.002.001 -"Where There's a Will There's a Way": commercial toys made during WWII -"Toys in Wartime: Suggestions to Parents on Making Toys in Wartime"; Wright Museum -Lionel Paper Train, 1943; Lionel LLC -Baby paper doll, late 1940s; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2012/84/2 -Christmas stocking with paper toys, 1940; Imperial War Museum, EPH 3663 -Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Southwark Micromodel, 1940–1950; The Strong Museum
In the 1950s

	-Raggedy Ann doll, 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.001.001 -Porcelain doll with movable limbs, circa 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.037.015 -Raggedy Andy doll, 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1978.001.002 -Plastic doll with movable limbs, circa 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.037.005 -Dolls, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1951 -Duchess Doll Corp. plastic doll with movable limbs, circa 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.037.004 -Frontier suit, Great Falls Tribune, May 21, 1955 -Daisy Air Rifle 500-Shot Repeating B-B Gun. circa 1950; The Strong National Museum of Play, 111.6131 -Holster set, The Billings Gazette, Nov. 17, 1950 -Chaps and vest set, The Billings Gazette, Nov. 17, 1950 -Lone Ranger Ranch Set, The Billings Gazette, Nov. 13, 1959 -Cowboy Accessories, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1957 -Lionel Train Set, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1957 -Lionel Girls Train with RailSounds, circa 1950s -Advertisement for Lionel train set, circa 1950s; Museum of Play -Advertisement for Lady Lionel train set, circa 1950s; Museum of Play -Lionel replica trains, Great Falls Tribune, Nov. 22, 1956 - Sikorsky H-5 helicopter from Irwin company kit, circa 1950s -Red River style cart, made for R. H. McKay, circa 1950; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.073.001 -Steel truck, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1953 -Boy with earth scraper, hauler, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1951 -Boy with metal grader, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1951 -Hook and Ladder Auto Truck, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1950 -Still from the Lone Ranger television series, 1949-1957, owned by Wrather Productions -Marx Gunsmoke and Wagon Train playsets, circa 1960; Marx Toy Museum -Davy Crockett stamp activity book, 1955; The Strong National Museum of Play, 116.669 -Howdy Doody doll with shaking head, reproduction of 1955 original; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2002.049.002 -Royal Horse Artillery cowboy play set, 1970s; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1994.093.010 -Annie Oakley outfit and cowboy hat, 1950s; The Autry Museum of the American West, 94.38.1 and 94.38.2 -Cowboy hat, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2007.063.006 -LMCO Cody Colt Paper Buster Gun, 1950s; Made in Chicago Museum -Davy Crockett holster set, circa 1950; The Autry Museum of the American West, 89.57.14
In the 1960s

	-Play Dishwasher, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1967 -Shop King, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1962 -Gum Ball Bank, The River Press, Dec. 3, 1958 -Toy Washing Machine, circa 1960; National Trust Museum of Childhood, NT 662210 -Hot Wheels, Great Falls Tribune, Oct. 4, 1969 -Action Highway, The Missoulian, Dec. 23, 1967 -Tonka Surrey Jeep, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1962 -Matchbox model tractor, 1960; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/1186-30 -Hot Wheels car, The Independent Record, Dec. 14, 1969 -"Living Barbie: As full of life as you are" catalog, 1968; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.036.057 -Barbie Doll and White Dress, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.036.056 and 2009.036.064 -Barbie Doll, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.037.027 -Lucky Locket, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1968 -Doll furniture, 1965; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1985.024.002 -Dolls, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1963 -Electronic Flash battery operated airplane, circa 1960s; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2004.030.018 -Matel-O-Phone, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1962 -Electric train, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1962 -Electric Pinball Machine, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1968 -Scatter Gun, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1964 -Shooting Gallery, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1961 -Guerrilla Gun, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1964 -Screaming Mee Mee-e, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1965 -Secret Sam, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1965 -Toboggan, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2012-026-002 -Comet Toboggan, circa 1960s; McCord Museum, M2006.127.7 -Child's skates, Laurel Outlook, Dec. 14, 1960 -Boys' and Girls' Figure Skates, Laurel Outlook, Dec. 4, 1960 -Rinkmaster Ice Skates, Great Falls Tribune, Jan. 9, 1965
In the 1970s

	-Barbie doll, no date; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2015.037.031 -Barbie doll skirt, no date; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.036.074 -Barbie doll vest, no date; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.036.073 -Barbie doll pants, no date; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.036.075 -Barbie doll pants, no date; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2009.036.076 -Mattel Cynthia doll, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1972 -Barbie Malibu Fashion Combo, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1978 -Barbie doll, The Missoulian, Dec. 24, 1973 -Lionel HO Train Set, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1974 -Lift & Load Railroad, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1979 -Life-Like Cannonball train set, 1970 -Brio wooden trains, 1970s -Star Wars Force Beam Sword, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1977 -B-Wing Fighter model kit, 1978; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1990.067.001 -Battle damaged X-Wing and Luke Skywalker, circa 1979; Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library -Battle damaged X-Wing and X-wing Pilot, circa 1979; Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library -Kenner's "Star Wars" Action Figures, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1979 -Star Wars Radio-Controlled R2-D2, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1979 -Assorted Buggies, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1971 -Model cars, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1977 -Tractor, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1974 -Nylint Cadet Bike Buggy, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1978 -Mattel Radio Control Lone Eagle Truck Trailer, The Missoulian, Dec. 23, 1979 -Tonka 5th Wheel Trailer, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1974 -Fire Engine, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1974 -Easy Bake Oven, 1963; Image courtesy of Hasbro -1971 Easy Bake Oven, with a Betty Crocker logo; Toy Hall of Fame -1980s Easy Bake Oven; Hasbro -2011 Easy Bake Oven; Hasbro -2003 Easy Bake Real Meal Oven; Toy Hall of Fame
In the 1980s

	-G.I. Joe Conquest X-30 Jet, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1986 -Thunder Punch He-Man and Battle Cat action figures, 1984; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 2013/35/1 -Action Figure, The Missoulian, Dec. 31, 1985 -Toy Batmobile and stand, 1980; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 85/2565-29 -Mattel Princess of Power Figure, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1985 -‘Barbie and the Rockers’, 1980s; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 2009/35/2 -Handmade felt Lenzi doll, 1985; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2007.002.015 -Sun Gold Malibu Skipper, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1985 -Cabbage Patch Kid 'Elise Delia Sharp', 1986; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 87/1210 -Crystal Barbie, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1984 -Fashion Doll, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1983 -Fabuland set 3681 ‘Amusement Park’, circa 1985; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2012/147/1-63 -Fabuland set 3679 ‘Flour Mill and Shop’, 1986; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2012/147/1-62 -Fabuland set 3628 ‘Perry Panda & Chester Chimp’, circa 1984; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2012/147/1-83 -Fabuland set 3670 ‘Service Station’, circa 1985; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2012/147/1-10 -Fabuland set 3645 ‘Classroom’, 1987; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2012/147/1-73 Lego products, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1981 -Stuffed animals, The Missoulian, Dec. 20, 1981 -Glo Worm, 1982; Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 2011/67/1 -Pillow Pet, 1982; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2005.019.026 -Lot-a-Love Care Bear, 1983; The Strong National Museum of Play, 93.121 -Kenner Fluffy Dog, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1987 -Ironhide with battle sled, circa 1985; Victoria and Albert Museum, B.105-1994 -Ironhide transformed, circa 1985; Victoria and Albert Museum, B.105-1994 -Optimus Prime, circa 1985; National Air and Space Museum, T20090054006 -Scourge, circa 1985; Victoria and Albert Museum, B.102-1994 -Scourge transformed, circa 1985; Victoria and Albert Museum, B.102-1994 -Powermaster Optimus Prime Battle Figure, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1989 -Atari Raiders of the Lost Arc and E.T. games; The Missoulian, Dec. 24, 1982 -Nintendo’s Game & Watch portable games showing, Turtle Bridge, PopEye, Donkey Kong Jr and Fire, 1982; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 2006/112/11 -Parker Video Cartridges Q-bert, Popeye, and Frogger, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1983 -Atari Video Game System, The Missoulian, Dec. 22, 1983 -Playtime 4th Generation Electronic Games, The Missoulian, Dec. 21, 1989 -Nintendo Famicom, 1983; The Vanamo Online Game Museum
In the 1990s

	-Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Trini Yellow Ranger, Ban Dai, 1993; Boston Children's Museum -Godzilla Toy Figure, Bandai America Inc., 1991; The Strong Museum of Play, 9cc4f399f2cdbc61 -Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Megazord figure with packaging, 1993; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 2003/111/37 -Living Godzilla, The Montana Standard, Dec. 6, 1998 -Power Rangers figures and play sets, The Montana Standard, Sept. 27, 1998 -Game boy game paks, The Missoulian, May 26, 1991 -Nintendo Game Boy, The Missoulian, May 26, 1991 -Game Boy, circa 1992; Victoria & Albert Museum, B.105-1996 -Nintendo 64 console with accessories, circa 1996; National Science and Media Museum, 2009-5047 -Resident Evil game disc, 1996; National Science and Media Museum, 2010-54/334 -Power Rangers game disc, The Montana Standard, Nov. 26, 1995 -Selected Game Boy cartridges, The Montana Standard, May 9, 1993 -Giga Pets Micropup: Your Virtual Pet, 1997; The Strong Museum of Play, 109.15041 -Gigapets Virtual Friends and Nano Babies, The Montana Standard, Mar. 22, 1998 -Furby figure, circa 1999; Museum of Design in Plastics, AIBDC : 001696 -Aibo robot dog, 1999; Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, 2000/12/1 -Girl Power - Mel B, 1997; Victoria & Albert Museum, B.124:1 to 10-1998 -Girl Power - Geri, 1997; Victoria & Albert Museum, B.123:1 to 10-1998 -Girl Power - Melanie, 1997; Victoria & Albert Museum, B.122:1 to 9-1998 -Girl Power - Victoria, 1997; Victoria & Albert Museum, B.120:1 to 9-1998 -Girl Power - Emma, 1997; Victoria & Albert Museum, B.121:1 to 9-1998 -Kelly Ballet Recital set, The Missoulian, Nov. 1, 1998 -Barbie doll with long hair, circa 1990s; Science Museum Group, 2000-396 -Eatin' Fun Kelly, The Montana Standard, Mar. 22, 1998 -Pearl Beach Barbie and Ken, The Missoulian, Nov. 1998 Royal Blue Peanut Beanie Baby, 1995; Ty Inc. -Santa Beanie Babie, circa 1998; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1999.066.004 -1999 Holiday Teddie Beanie Baby; HMFM Permanent Collection, 1999.066.001 -Chip the cat Beanie Baby, undated; HMFM Permanent Collection, 2005.019.046

Back to Exhibit Contents

Playing Cowboy: Toys and the American Western
The 1950s were a golden age for Westerns. They dominated movie theatres, television screens, and toy-chests across the country. Children of all ages and genders pretended to be Davy Crockett or the Lone Ranger -- helped, of course, by tie-in playsets, props and costumes. Some kids played with action figures and plastic playsets, acting out movie plots or making up their own dramas for the characters. Others, especially kids who lived out west and had more room to play outside, went straight to the toy guns and cowboy outfits and acted out the epics themselves.

Of course, the "Wild West" shown on TV and imagined by thousands of kids didn't look much like the actual American west of the late 1800s. Unlike on-screen cowboys, usually played by White actors like Roy Rogers and John Wayne, real cowboys were extremely racially diverse, with Mexican, Black, and Native American cowboys working alongside and sometimes outnumbering White men. The word "cowboy" is even a direct translation of an older Spanish word: "vaquero," a word which was also anglicized into "buckaroo." Fictional cowboys and gunslingers also routinely clashed with Native Americans, who often were shown less as the main villains of the story than as another hazard of nature for the White heroes to overcome, like landslides or sudden blizzards. In real life during the late 1800s, most conflicts with Native Americans in the west were fought by the United States military, as the military carried out their brutal mission of removing Native Americans from their lands by any means necessary.

Made nearly a century later, fictional Westerns weren't aiming to show the real history. A Western isn't a documentary, it's a story. Those stories have different aims, from early films glorifying the colonization of the west to later, more nuanced stories that grappled with the morality of a lifestyle defined by violence and anti-social ideals. During the 1940s and '50s, when Westerns peaked in popularity, they helped people to grapple with their own circumstances. Behind the ever-present threat of fictional Native Americans were the real-life boogeymen of first the Nazis and then the Communists, as Americans went from World War II straight into McCarthyism and the Red Scare. Westerns also appealed to people worried about how modern life and technology were changing the country. They created an idealized past that people could be nostalgic about, especially White people living in western states who could imagine their own ancestors as characters in Westerns, or at least as living alongside the cowboys and lawmen that they saw on screen.

Back to the 1950s