THE ERECTOR SET


Michael Kravitz


This erector set is located in the children's room of the Greenbelt Museum





"It was every boy's dream to be given an erector's set for Christmas, I believe I got one when I was eight years old and I don't believe I put it down until I started to notice girls."8. I believe this shows just what a phenomenon erector sets were in the late 1930's and early 1940's. They appealed to children, mainly boys, from the ages of 7 to 15. Erector sets were symbolic of the optimism the country had despite the tail end of the depression. We can build a better world or as President Clinton might metaphorically refer to it, building a bridge to the future. These were exciting times during which the Empire State Building and The Panama Canal were built. The inventor of the erector set, Alfred Carleton Gilbert, sold himself along with the construction toy. He was the pioneer of the educational tools with his company the A.C. Gilbert Company leading the way. Gilbert was a former Olympic athlete and he brought that image of energy and youth through advertising to his product.





FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

A.C. Gilbert and the History of Erector's

What is Really in Those Sets?

What Did Children Build and Why Did They Build Them?

Did Erector Sets Break the Children's Piggy Bank?

Were Girl's Allowed to Play?

"I Need Some Help Daddy!"

Similar Toy's Available During The Late 1930's

Erector Sets Place in History

Bibliography




MY HOME PAGE