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[Adam Scher] When you were a kid were you crazy about your coonskin cap?
Was your best friend named Barbie? Did you have a deep and meaningful
relationship with your pet rock? Hi, I’m Adam Scher and today we’re
behind the scenes at the Minnesota History Center, where we’re putting
the finishing touches on a new exhibit called, Toys of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
The exhibit features living rooms from each decade filled with hundreds
of playthings. Many of the toys in the exhibit are still popular today.
Some were even invented in Minnesota. For instance, Twister was patented
by two inventors from Minnesota named Chuck Foley and Neil Rabens who
licensed the game to Milton Bradley. Twister wasn’t a big seller at first
but when Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor played the game on the Tonight Show
on May 3, 1966, sales took off. Barrel of Monkeys was first made by
a Minnesota company called Lakeside Industries. Lakeside also made a
bendable version of the characters Gumby and Pokey in the 1960s.
Tonka Toys came from a Mound, Minnesota company that first
made garden tools and other metal implements. They made toys
on the side, but soon these high- quality, durable toys became
their main business. In 1955, the company changed its name to
Tonka, a Dakota Indian word for “large.” This pickup truck and
livestock carrier are from the 1950s. Tonka introduced its
signature line of yellow-painted trucks in the early 60s.
Minnesotans also made toy history in the 1970s. The Reynolds Guyer
Agency of Design, Located in St. Paul, developed the NERF ball,
which was introduced by Parker Brothers in 1970. It was a
tremendous hit and four million balls were sold in the first year.
In 1972 Parker Brothers introduced the NERF football, a toy developed
by Minneapolis football fan John Mattox and Minnesota Vikings kicker
Fred ***. Featuring a thick, rubbery skin which gave the ball a superior
trajectory, the NERF football quickly became one of the most
popular toys of the 70s. You’ll find these toys and hundreds
more in The Toys exhibit, which runs through the end of 2014 at
the Minnesota History Center, and then travels the country.
From antique paper dolls to Hot Wheels, the Minnesota Historical
Society preserves a collection of nearly 5,000 toys. Maybe your
favorite is here too? To learn more, log on to our homepage at mnhs.org
and under the Research tab, click on “Search Collections”.
For Collections Up Close, I’m Adam Scher.