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Toys of the 1950’s. Chelsea Slahtovsky. Slinky History. In the 1940’s, Richard James was a naval engineer. While he was working a tension spring fell to the ground, he realized how the spring kept bouncing around and he realized the new idea for a toy, now called a slinky.
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Toys of the 1950’s Chelsea Slahtovsky
Slinky History • In the 1940’s, Richard James was a naval engineer. • While he was working a tension spring fell to the ground, he realized how the spring kept bouncing around and he realized the new idea for a toy, now called a slinky. • Richard and his wife Betty then started the company of James Spring & Wire. • Today, Slinky’s are made in Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania • Betty James replaced the blue-black Swedish steel with silver colored American metal, the metal we see Slinky’s in today.
Hoola Hoop History • A light multi-colored plastic hoop that is whirled around the body for play or exercise is a hoola hoop. • Arthur K. Melin often called “Spud” invented the Hoola Hoop. • Before hoola hoops people were doing the exact same movement with grape vines and stiff grasses. • More than three thousand years ago, children in Egypt played with large hoops of dried grapevines. • The word hula became associated with the word hooping, then an Australian company began making wooden rings for sale in retail stores. • Although the craze died out in the 60’s hoola hoops are now still very much with us.
Mr. Potato Head • Mr. Potato Head was invented by George Lerner in 1952. He was a well known inventor and designer. • In the late 1940’s, George invented a set of plastic face pieces. • The toy was not an immediate hit in the beginning. • After a while, the toy sold to a cereal company for 5,000. • Although this was an improvement, George thought his new toy deserved a better chance at fame. • George and the New England manufacture bought the rights to the cereal company for 7,000. • In today's century, Mr. Potato Head is very well known and popular to all children around the world.
Etch-a-Sketch • Arthur Granjean in 1959 created L'EcranMagique , now known as Etch-a-Sketch. • Arthur first sketched a drawing of this toy and took it to International Toy Fair in Nuremburg, Germany. • His first shot at making the toy famous was shut down. • But, he tried again, and that time Ohio Art decided to take a chance on the toy. • L'EcranMagique became the highest selling sketch toy in the business. • It was then renamed Etch-a-Sketch. • The selling of the toy was so remarkable that they manufactures decided to continued selling the toy until noon on Christmas eve.
Frisbee • In Bridgeport, Connecticut there was a business that made pies called The Frisbie Baking Company. • College student once realized the empty baking pan could be used as a game, being tossed and caught for hours. • In fact, many colleges now are claiming to be the inventor of the Frisbee. • In 1948, Warren Franscioni and Walter Frederick Morrison invented the first actual plastic version of the Frisbee. • Morrison then on his own created a plastic Frisbee called the Pluto Platter.
Silly Putty • In 1943, James Wright discovered an odd result of boric acid and silicone oil being combined together. • He then did a number of tests on the goo discovering it could bounce, stretch, didn’t collect mold and had a high melting point. • In 1949 Ruth Fallgatter had come upon this “nutty putty”.’ • He then put the product in a magazine advertising it for 2 dollars each. • The product outsold every other item in the catalog.
Pick-up Stix • This game was a simple physical game. • The only rules included picking up a stick while not bumping or moving the remaining sticks around it. • When and who invented Pick-up Stix’s has been unclear, but it has always gone back to the Native Americans.
Works Cited Page 1) "History of the Slinky Toy - Richard James and Betty James." Inventors. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/slinky.htm>. 2) "Hula Hoop History - Invention of the Hula Hoop." The Great Idea Finder - Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/hulahoop.htm>. 3) "Mr. Potato Head History - Invention of Mr. Potato Head." The Great Idea Finder - Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/mrpotatohead.htm>. 4) "Etch A Sketch History - Invention of Etch A Sketch." The Great Idea Finder - Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/etchsketch.htm>. 5)"The History of the Frisbee." Inventors. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. <http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980218.htm>. 6) "What Toys Were Popular in the 1950s - Articles." Fabulous 50th birthday gift ideas Woodstock Candy - fun gifts for birthdays. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. <http://woodstockcandy.com/toys-popular-in-1950s.html>. 7)"Pick Up Sticks : Retro." Retro Skooldays : Old Memories. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. <http://www.skooldays.com/categories/toys/ty1056.htm>.