Design history and the history of toys: Defining a discipline for the Bethnal Green Museum of childhood

Journal of Design History

Volumn 10, Issue 1, 1997, Pages 1-21

  Burton, Anthony ^a  

^a VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 34249169394     PISSN: 09524649     EISSN: 17417279     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/jdh/10.1.1     Document Type: Review

References (93)

1. See John Physick, The Victoria and Albert Museum: The History of Its Building, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
2. Described in the various editions of pre-First-World-War guidebooks.
3. Weekly Telegraph, 24 August 1935, p. 7.
4. See Anthony Burton & Caroline Goodfellow, 'Arthur Sabin, Mrs Greg and the Queen', V & A Album 4, De Montfort, 1985, pp. 355-66.
5. This is the phrase on the title-page of the second Report from the Select Committee on Arts and their connexion with Manufactures; with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix and Index. Ordered, by the House of Commons, to be printed, 16 August 1836. The first report, 4 September 1835, referred simply to 'Arts and Manufactures'. It was from this Select Committee's recommendations that, ultimately, the V & A sprang.
6. Readers of this journal will not need me to conduct an ideological discussion about what constitutes design history. This article is an empirical description of the intellectual activity at Bethnal Green, and to some extent the V & A, which at the very least, is not unconnected with design history.
7. See my introduction to Anthony Burton & Susan Haskins, European Art in the Victoria & Albert Museum, Scala/Philip Wilson, 1983.
8. P. G. Trendall, 9/10/1924, in V & A RP.1924/6590 in nominal file Emmet, L.M. (Miss).
9. P. G. Trendall, 9/1/1925, in V & A RP.1925/361 in nominal file Lester-Garland, L.V. (Mrs).
10. A. J. Koop, 17/9/1928, in V & A RP.1928/8367 in nominal file Greg, Mrs Mary H.
11. A. K. Sabin, 20/12/1937, in V & A RP.1937/5588 in nominal file Mugford, Miss C. M.
12. E. Maclagan, 1/10/1925, and A. K. Sabin to Mrs Greg, 9/10/1925, in V & A RP.1925/6727 in nominal file Greg, Mrs Mary H.
13. 'The Director prefers our [sic] objects to be registered in V. & A. Museum Departments when practicable', A. K. Sabin, 2/2/1928, in V & A RP.1928/926 in nominal file Greg, Mrs Mary H.
14. C. M. Weekley, 21/8/1948, in V & A RP.1948/2284 in nominal file Coker, Miss May.
15. G. Wingfield Digby, 21/6/1948, in V & A RP.1948/1593 in nominal file Anthony, Monica S.
16. C. M. Weekley, 6/5/1952, in V & A RP.1952/1340 in nominal file Mounsey, Patrick.
17. C. M. Weekley, 21/2/1955, in V & A RP.1925/271 in nominal file Brock, B. A.
18. The latter is still at the museum as Curator of Toys, and is author of (most recently) The Ultimate Doll Book, Dorling Kindersley, 1993.
19. Cf. Christina Hardyment, Dream Babies: Child Care from Locke to Spock, Jonathan Cape, 1983, Chapter 3, 'Science and sensibility, 1870-1920'.
20. A topic which the present writer is pursuing.
21. Roger Caillois, Les Jeux et les hommes, Gallimard, Paris, 1967, p. 123;
22. quoted in Claudette Joanis, 'Les collections de jouets dans les musées français', in Muséologie et ethnologie, Notes et documents des musées de France, 16, Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, Paris, 1987, p. 194. My translation.
23. See Sandra Hindman, 'Pieter Brueghel's Children's Games, folly, and chance', Art Bulletin, vol. 63, 1981, pp. 447-75.
24. See Leslie Daiken, 'Children's games: a bibliography', Folklore, vol. 61, 1950, pp. 218-22.
25. Robert A. Georges, 'Recreations and games', in Richard M. Dorson (ed.), Folklore and Folklife: An Introduction, University of Chicago Press, 1972, p. 175.
26. 'The South Kensington Museum. Second Article', Leisure Hour, 14 April 1859, p. 234.
27. See Susanna Avery-Quash, 'The colourful life of Sir Henry Cole', Victorian Society Annual, 1995, pp. 29-35.
28. Richard D. Mandell, Paris 1990: The Great World's Fair, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1967, p. 52.
29. For background see Jouets: Paris 1900, the catalogue of an exhibition arranged by the Délégation à l'Action Artistique de la Ville de Paris and the Société des Amis du Jouet in Paris in 1984-5.
30. Calmettes's book was listed in the prospectus in the section devoted to 'Le Vêtement'. Toys, especially dolls, were often regarded as a subdepartment of textiles in the early days of their study.
31. Silhouette: Notes and Dictionary, Methuen, 1938, reprinted as Silhouettes: A History and Dictionary of Artists, Dover, New York, 1981.
32. Toys of Other Days was reprinted by Benjamin Blom, New York and London, 1968.
33. See Kenneth D. Brown, The British Toy Business: A History Since 1700, Hambledon Press, 1996, p. 245, n. 86.
34. 'Old toys', Connoisseur, vol. 22, 1908, p. 261.
35. Information from the dust-jacket of the reprint of his book published by Diederichs, Düsseldorf, 1979.
36. See, conveniently, the introduction and bibliography in Karl Ewald Fritsch & Manfred Bachmann, An Illustrated History of Toys, Abbey Library, 1966; and for more detail see the literature cited in subsequent paragraphs.
37. See Ernst Hofmann, 'Aus der Geschichte des Deutschen Spielzeugmuseums in Sonneberg', in Spielzeug und Spielware: Puppen aus Sonneberg im Thüringer Wald, published to accompany an exhibition at the Brüder-Grimm-Stube in Marburg, by the Kulturamt der Stadt Marburg, 1992, pp. 21-31.
38. See Manfred Bachmann, 'Vom kurfürstlichen Jägerhof zur sozialistischen Volksbildungsstätte', in Manfred Bachmann (ed.), 50 Jahre Staatliches Museum für Volkskunst Dresden, published by the museum, 1963, pp. 3-35. (This essay is an almost exact reprint of Manfred Bachmann, Das Staatliche Museum für Volkskunst Dresden: Ein Uberblick über seine Geschichte und seine Sammlungen, published by the museum, 1961.)
39. Oskar Seyffert, Spielzeug, with illustrations by W. Trier, Wasmuth, Berlin, 1923. This appeared with English text, both with the Berlin/Wasmuth imprint (copy in the V & A National Art Library) and with the imprint of T. Fisher Unwin, London (copy in the Renier Collection, Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood).
40. See biographical note in Karl Gröber & Juliane Metzger, Kinderspielzeug aus alter Zeit, Marion von Schröder, Hamburg, 1965, p. 221.
41. Schwaben, Delphin, Munich, 1924. The series on 'Deutsche Volkskunst' was presented in its prospectuses (see copies in the V & A National Art Library) as a contribution to rebuilding German national spirit after the First World War.
42. Spielzeug und Handwerkskunst aus Thüringen und dem Erzgebirge, exhibition catalogue, Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe, 1991, p. 251.
43. Seyffert's book has been mentioned. See also Fritz Rumpf & Erich A. Oswald, Spielzeug der Völker, Berlin, 1922;
44. Hans Friedrich Geist & Alfred Mahlau, Spielzeug: eine bunte Fibel, Staackmann, Leipzig, 1938;
45. Emanuel Hercik, Volksspielzeug, Orbis, Prague, 1952;
46. Manfred Bachmann, Holzspielzeug aus dem Erzgebirge, Verlag der Kunst, Dresden, 1984.
47. Enid Brett, 'A toy museum for London', Nursery World, 27 December 1951, p. 992.
48. Leslie H. Daiken, 'The Toy Museum', Museums Journal, vol. 54, 1954-5, pp. 313-15.
49. Leslie H. Daiken, 'The Toy Museum', Museums Journal, vol. 57, 1957-8, pp. 243-4.
50. Leslie Daiken, The Toy Museum at Brighton', Museums Journal, vol. 59, 1959-60, p. 69.
51. Antique Toys and Their Background, Batsford, 1971. Toys, Dolls, Automata: Mark and Labels, Batsford, 1975; as well as books on dolls.
52. E.g. Jeu, jouet et politique, 1982;
53. Jeux et jouets religieux, 1987.
54. E.g. Jouets américains de la petite enfance 1925-1975, 1977-8;
55. Jouets français 1880-1980, 1982-3.
56. No. 1: Jouets et poupées dans les musées français, 1983;
57. No. 2, Les États généraux de la poupée, 1985;
58. No. 3, Bleuette et les poupées dans les périodiques enfantins en France de 1768 à 1960, 1984.
59. E.g. Trésors d'enfances au Musée national de l'Education: éducation, école et jeux en France de 1500 à 1914, exhibition catalogue, 1991-2;
60. Annie Renonciat, Images lumineuses: tableaux sur verre pour lanternes magiques et vues sur papier pour appareils de projection, Volume 1 of 'Inventaire des collections du Musée nationale de l'Education', 1995.
61. Georg Himmelheber, Spiele: Gesellschaftsspiele aus einem Jahrtausend, Kataloge des Bayerischen Nationalmuseums München, Band XIV, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich, 1972;
62. Kleine Möbel: Modell-, Andachts- und Kassettenmöbel vom 13.-20. Jahrhundert, catalogue of an exhibition at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, 1979, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich, 1979.
63. Leonie von Wilckens, Tageslauf im Puppenhaus, Prestel, Munich, 1956;
64. Das Puppenhaus, Callwey, Munich, 1978;
65. Spiel, Spiele, Kinderspiel, catalogue of an exhibition at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, 1985.
66. See Jean Gabus, 'Children of the world at play: temporary exhibition ...', Museum, vol. 14, 1961, pp. 45-60.
67. The book of the exhibition, by Gabriel Chanan & Hazel Francis, was published by Unesco, Paris and Serbal, Barcelona, in 1984.
68. See Nelson H. H. Graburn, Ethnic and Tourist Arts, University of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976, Introduction.
69. Cf. a debate on 'world art' at the Strategic Planning Team's summer discussion weekend in 1995.
70. Bethnal Green contributed through the publications of curator Pauline Cockrill: The Ultimate Teddy Bear Book, 1991
71. and The Teddy Bear Encyclopedia, 1993, both published by Dorling Kindersley.
72. The Collector's History of Dolls, Hale, 1977;
73. The Encyclopedia of Toys, Hale, 1978;
74. Antique Toys and Dolls, Studio Vista/Christie's, 1979;
75. The Collector's History of Dolls' Houses, Hale, 1983.
76. Torkild Hinrichsen's Spielzeug, in the Battenberg Antiquitäten- Kataloge, Battenberg, Munich, 1980, is a rather good one with substantial introduction and exceptionally full bibliography.
77. See my article 'The information needs of the flea market', Art Libraries Journal, vol. 12, 1987, pp. 37-42.
78. Elliott M. Avedon & Brian Sutton-Smith, The Study of Games, Wiley, New York, 1971.
79. Karen Hewitt & Louise Roomet, Educational Toys in America: 1800 to the Present, The Robert Hull Fleming Museum, Burlington, University of Vermont, 1979.
80. Also published, with the same title, in History Today, vol. 30, 1980, pp. 32-9.
81. Winterthur Portfolio, vol. 18, p. 110.
82. Thomas B. Schlereth (ed.), Material Culture Studies in America, American Association for State and Local History, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982, p. 71.
83. Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann, 'Toys: reflections on a Marburg exhibition: toys as an indicator of a social system', in James R. Dow & Hannjost Lixfeld (eds.), German Volkskunde: A Decade of Theoretical Confrontation, Debate, and Reorientation (1967-1977), Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1986.
84. D. W. Bell, 'Towards a sociology of toys: inanimate objects, socialization and the demography of the doll world', Sociological Quarterly, vol. 8, 1967, pp. 447-58.
85. Cf. Jeanne Damamme, 'Reflexion sur un musée du jouet', in Jouets et poupées dans les musées français (see note 54), pp. 15-24.
86. Rayner Scrutiny of the Departmental Museums: Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Report by Mr F. G. Burrett CB, May 1982, para. 112; recommendation 28.
87. It must be recorded, though, that everyone at Bethnal Green regards children as a very important (probably the most important) part of our audience, and that we are proud of our education programme. We see our task as making our collections more accessible to children, rather than becoming a 'children's museum'. This task will, of course, involve looking at techniques used in children's museums and applying them wherever possible in our galleries and programmes.
88. One of the key publications was Peter Vergo (ed.), The New Museology (Reaktion Books, 1989), worth mentioning because it includes some severe analysis by Ludmilla Jordanova of messages which she reads in Bethnal Green's toy galleries.
89. Memorandum to the author, 7 January 1981.
90. See curator Tessa Chester's guides to the infrastructure: Children's Books Research: A Practical Guide to Techniques and Sources, and Sources of Information about Children's Books, both Thimble Press, 1989.
91. For a comprehensive survey see Hugh Cunningham, Children and Childhood in Western Society since 1500, Longman, 1995.
92. See Anthony Burton, 'Looking forward from Ariès? Pictorial and material evidence for the history of childhood and family life', Continuity and Change, vol. 4, 1989, pp. 203-29.
93. Adrian Forty, Objects of Desire: Design and Society 1750-1980, Thames & Hudson, 1986, pp. 67-72.