The A. C. Gilbert Company: Erector Set Pioneers
The A. C. Gilbert toy company, which once dominated the toy landscape of the United States, didn't start out making toys. Today, the company is best remembered for its Erector Sets, kits which allow children to build moving metal models. But when the company was first founded in 1909, its market wasn't children at all, but something completely different -- professional magicians!
Alfred Carlton Gilbert and his business partner John Petrie first founded the company under the name Mysto Manufacturing Company. They sold props to professional magicians and easy magic tricks to amateurs. In 1911 the company put out its first erector set, and it quickly became their most popular product, completely eclipsing the magic tricks. Although the company continued to sell magic sets, the erector sets were now the core of their business. Gilbert even earned himself the nickname "The Man Who Saved Christmas," after he successfully convinced the Council of National Defense not to ban toy production in 1918, helped in part by the popularity of his erector sets.
Erector sets were inspired by construction girders. The core of each set is differently shaped metal beams, which can be put together with nuts and bolts. Other parts, such as pulleys, curved sheets, hinges, or electric motors give the sets versatility, letting people's imagination run wild. People used the sets to build bridges, train tracks, ferris wheels, and even robots. Over the years, erector sets have even been used to build prototypes of important devices, including what would become the first artificial heart!
After finding success with the erector sets, Gilbert branched out. Petrie left the company, and in 1916 Gilbert renamed it the A. C. Gilbert Company. The re-named company focused on producing educational toys for children. Joining the erector sets were chemistry kits, microscope kits, and even a radiation kit that included a Geiger counter and some radioactive samples! In the 1930s, the company bought American Flyer, a model train company, and incorporated model trains into their business. In its prime, the company was one of the biggest toy manufacturing companies in the entire world.
Gilbert retired in 1954 and his son, A. C. Gilbert Jr. took over. By this point the company was struggling to keep up with its competition, a problem that only increased when Gilbert Sr. died in 1961. The family sold the company, and in 1967 the A. C. Gilbert Company declared bankruptcy. Other companies purchased the American Flyers and Gilbert Erector Sets brands, and continue to manufacture model trains and erector sets under those brands to this day.
Back to 1920s
This page references:
- Erector sets with moving parts were patricularly popular. Early sets were hand-powered, while later sets contained batteries. In the 1950s and '60s, Erector Robot kits were all the rage.
- After the success of the Erector Sets, the Gilbert Company branched out into other educational toys. The company's mission was to encourage children to become scientists and engineers by sparking an early interest in scientific processes.
- Mysto Magic Kit