Family & Social Life - Overview
Donations to the Museum have preserved irreplaceable evidence about generations of ordinary Americans. Objects from the Copp household of Stonington, Connecticut, include many items used by a single family from 1740 to 1850. Other donations have brought treasured family artifacts from jewelry to prom gowns. These gifts and many others are all part of the Museum's family and social life collections.
Children's books and Sunday school lessons, tea sets and family portraits also mark the connections between members of a family and between families and the larger society. Prints, advertisements, and artifacts offer nostalgic or idealized images of family life and society in times past. And the collections include a few modern conveniences that have had profound effects on American families and social life, such as televisions, video games, and personal computers.
"Family & Social Life - Overview" showing 28 items.
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German Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam engine was made by an unknown German manufacturer during the early 20th century. The horizontal steam boiler powers a flywheel which is connected to a dynamo that can power the attached bulb. The boiler, flywheel, dynamo, and light bulb are all attached to the wooden base.
- Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- ID Number
- ER*328990
- accession number
- 278175
- catalog number
- 328990
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
German Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam engine was made by an unknown German company during the early 20th century. The toy consists of a horizontal boiler with chimney on a simulated brickwork firebox. The horizontal slide valve engine powers a flywheel with a centrifugal flyball governor. The boiler and engine are mounted on a cast iron plate.
- Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*322908
- catalog number
- 322908
- accession number
- 220719
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
German Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This vertical toy steam engine was manufactured by an unknown German company during the early 20th century. The toy consists of a fire box, a vertical boiler with chimney, and a vertical engine attached to a flywheel all mounted on a cast iron base.
- Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*322909
- catalog number
- 322909
- accession number
- 220719
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
German Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This horizontal toy steam engine was manufactured by an unknown German company during the early 20th century. The horizontal brass boiler with chimney sits on an iron metal firebox. The slide-valve engine is attached to a crankshaft and linked to a gearing that is connected to the flywheel. The engine has a decorative flyball governor.
- Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*322910
- catalog number
- 322910
- accession number
- 220719
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Märklin No. 5 Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This Märklin No. 5 toy steam engine was built by the Märklin Manufacturing Company of Göppingen, Germany during the early 20th century. This toy steam engine consists of an externally fired horizontal brass boiler on top of a simulated brick firebox and chimney. The horizontal slide valve cylinder engine drives a flywheel with slip-eccentric reversing gear. The boiler and engine are mounted on a tinplate base.
- The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys that included steam engines such as this one.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1950
- ID Number
- MC*322911
- catalog number
- 322911
- accession number
- 220719
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Bing Toy Steam Traction Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam traction engine was manufactured by Bing Works of Nuremberg, Germany around 1918-1932. The traction engine consists of a black firebox below a boiler with a horizontal slide valve engine attached to a flywheel that is chained to the tractor’s rear wheel.
- The Gebrüder Bing (Bing Brothers) toy company was founded in Nuremburg, Germany by Adolf and Ignatz Bing in 1863 and operated until 1932. The company was renamed Bing Werke (Bing Works) in 1918 when Ignatz Bing died. While very successful from 1863 until 1912, World War I created an unfavorable export market for German products, and the hard post-war years caused additional financial hardships. The harsh political climate in Germany forced the Jewish Bing family to flee to England in 1932, and Bing’s assets were acquired by rival toy company Bub in 1933.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*328930
- catalog number
- 328930
- accession number
- 278175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
German Steam Toy Traction Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam traction engine was manufactured by an unknown German maker during the early 20th century. The traction engine consists of a silver firebox below a boiler painted green. The steam powers a horizontal slide valve engine attached to a flywheel that is chained to the tractor’s rear wheel.
- Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine.This traction engine achieves motion by a similar method of steam power.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*328931
- catalog number
- 328931
- accession number
- 278175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
German Steam Toy Traction Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam traction engine was manufactured by an unknown German maker during the early 20th century. The traction engine consists of a black firebox below a boiler painted orange. The steam powers a horizontal slide valve engine attached to a flywheel that is chained to the tractor’s rear wheel.
- Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights. This traction engine achieves motion by the same method.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*328932
- catalog number
- 328932
- accession number
- 278175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Carette Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam engine does not bear a specific makers mark, but comparisons to other engines reveal similarities to a Carette engine model 108. The model 108 engine was made by Georges Carette of Nuremberg, Germany around 1900. The overtype engine has a horizontal slide valve engine and horizontal boiler over a black firebox.
- Carrette et Cie (Carrette and Company) was founded in Nuremberg, Germany by Georges Carette and operated from 1886-1917.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- mid or early 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*328934
- catalog number
- 328934
- accession number
- 278175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
German Toy Steam Engine
- Description (Brief)
- This toy steam engine was produced in Germany by an unknown maker during the early 20th century. Comparisons to other engines reveal similarities to the Schoenner 107 toy steam engine, which was manufactured during the early 20th century. Jean Schoenner formed his company in 1875, but sold the business to Falk in 1912. The overtype engine has a firebox that shows wear, with a silver boiler, horizontal valve engine, and flywheel. The engine has platform steps on the front and side, and the base is stamped “F144.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 20th century
- ID Number
- MC*328935
- catalog number
- 328935
- accession number
- 278175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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