The History of Toys: From Spinning Tops to Robots

This appealing and well-illustrated book traces the history of toys through the ages. It reflects changing attitudes to childhood as well as the influences of technology and the invention of new materials. Remarkably, some toys have changed very little despite a change in materials: rattles once made of straw, clay, silver, leather and wood are now made of plastic. Greek, Egyptian and Roman children played with dolls, miniature houses, balls, spinning tops and pull-along animals on wheels. Kites have been flown in China for centuries. Dolls were either made from wood, fabric, leather or porcelain - or, for poor children, were just a chalk face on an old shoe wrapped in material - before the advent of fine sculpting by toymakers, Kathe Cruse or Sasha Morgenthaler. Deborah Jaffe explores the various influences on toys from politics and marketing to religion and education. She takes us on a fascinating exploration of toys through the ages.