From the Vault: Toys in the Loudoun Museum Collection
- LM
- Dec 19
- 7 min read
In modern times, gift giving has become a major part of winter holidays and for many, especially children, is one of the most exciting traditions of the season. Generations of children in Loudoun County have been delighted by receiving holiday gifts. Toys have always been a popular gift item. Just like today, these toys ranged from the latest technology to homemade heirlooms. We’re lucky enough to have a variety of historical toys in our collection and happy to share some of the interesting stories behind them.
Keystone Toy Moviegraph Projector, ca. 1922 – 1930, Loudoun Museum collection
This toy movie projector, known as the Electric Moviegraph, was produced in the 1920’s by the Keystone Company. In addition to manufacturing toys, Keystone also made film equipment like cameras and projectors. This toy Moviegraph could show standard gauge film, promising a “clear and large picture” of about 45 x 60 inches.
Originally, this Moviegraph would have come with a variety of parts, including cords and instructions alongside tickets, ticket takers’ badges, and ushers’ arm bands encouraging children to play cinema at home. The films would have been silent, as “talkie” films were only just beginning to emerge in the mid-late 1920s.
Some Keystone branded metal toys could be found at the Middleburg Variety 5 & 10 Cent Store. Given the high price tag of $12.00 in 1922, this Moviegraph may have been purchased at a toy store, a large department store, or through a mail order catalog like Sears, Roebuck and Co. or Montgomery Ward.
TootsieToy Metal Truck, ca. 1936 – 1941, Loudoun Museum collection
This toy car is known as a Jumbo Pickup Truck from the TootsieToy Company. It was part of their Jumbo series produced from 1936 – 1941. The TootsieToy brand began producing model cars around 1909 and by the 1920s, were making a wide range of toys includingtrains, military vehicles, and aircraft. TootsieToy also made toy cars for Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and more.
This pickup truck has several unique features. It has three of its four original tires. TootsieToy vehicles had white rubber tires. These tires would become brittle and would not withstand heavy play, meaning few tires survive to the present day. Additionally, the truck appears to have been customized by its owner, with the name “Roy S---” appearing on the front doors and the number 144 on the sides of the truck bed.
The Keystone Moviegraph and TootsieToy Truck demonstrate that gifting technology is not new to the twenty-first century. Whether learning how to use a Moviegraph or inspiring interest in latest automobiles, these toys serve an important purpose: encouraging children to explore technology and get excited about the future. Getting kids excited about technology and the future wasn’t just limited to toys. This next item, specifically its donor, took museum staff down an interesting research path.
J. Chein & Company Tin Washing Machine, ca. 1930s, gift, Athelstan Spilhaus
The washing machine was made by J. Chein & Company, an American toy manufacturer founded 1903. Chein was known for producing stamped and lithographed tin toys which they produced from the 1930’s through the 1950’s. A lithograph is a printing technique that allowed complex patterns and images to be added to the surface of metal toys. The piece is an interesting look at how toys reflect domestic life, and the story of the donor of this toy is even more fascinating.
This toy washing machine comes from Dr. Athelsan Spilhaus. Spilhaus was born in 1911, grew up in South Africa, and later settled in Middleburg, Virginia. He was a renowned scientist and authored a popular comic strip called Our New Age which provided lessons in science and incorporated science fiction to get kids excited about the future. President John F. Kennedy told Spilhaus: "The only science I ever learned was from your comic strip […]"
Spilhaus was also an enthusiastic toy collector. His home in Middleburg became his personal “toy museum.” In 1975, he began building additions to his house which he filled with tin and cast-iron toys. By the end of his life in 1998, it was estimated that he had over 5,000 toys.
Creative learning and play doesn’t just belong to the realm of science and metal toys. Attempts to educate children outside of traditional means took many forms, including dolls.
Hertwig & Co. Porcelain Dolls, ca. 1895 – 1907, gift, Mary Agnes Simpson
These three dolls were produced by Hertwig & Company located in Katzhütte, Thuringen, Germany. Hertwig & Company was a prolific producer of China head dolls on cotton cloth bodies. They have soft, cotton bodies with porcelain head, arms, and legs attached. These dolls were likely purchased through mail order catalogs.
The dolls were sold without any accessories or clothes, so the clothes seen in the images were likely created by one of the dolls’ owners. The doll clothes have no visible closures, so the fabric may have been sewn directly onto the dolls.
Purple Gown Doll
This one is known as a “print body” doll. On the doll’s cotton body are letters of the alphabet sometimes accompanied by pictures. Hertwig did this to increase the educational potential of the dolls, helping girls to learn letters and small words through play. An 1899 Butler Bros. Christmas catalog described this doll line as “Undeniably the best educational doll in the world [...]”
Left to right: Image of Purple gown doll (Loudoun Museum). Close up of the letter print fabric on the Purple Gown Doll. (Loudoun Museum). Bulter Brothers New York Wholesale Catalog featuring print body doll, spring 1905. (oldwoodtoys.com)
Green Gown Doll This Hertwig doll has been adorned with a deep green dress, matching
hat, and strands of beads. Under the gown are lace detailed petticoats and a pair of bloomers. The undergarments appear to be made of old handkerchiefs or decorative pieces of white fabric.
Large Doll This one is referred to as the large doll because it is about 14 inches tall, nearly twice the size of the purple and green gown dolls. This doll features a finely painted face and hand sewn clothes. This outfit includes closures on the back of the skirt; the band of the skirt holds the bodice closed.
These three dolls are part of the set of eight bequeathed to the museum by Mary A. Simpson (1901-1991). Mary was born in Purcellville, to parents John Floyd and Tara T. Simpson, where she lived until her death.
Doll Quilt and Mattress, ca. 1988, gift, Bertha M. Dengler
This quilt was made for a doll cradle or bed. It showcases a one patch pattern in a grid arrangement with a diamond quilting design. The entire piece is hand stitched. It features muslin and rosebud cotton prints, a muslin backing, and narrow binding. It contains either cotton or polyester batting. On the back edge, an ink inscription reads: "Bertha Dengler Leesburg VA 1988."
Bertha M. Dengler (1913 –1996) was a long-term Loudoun Museum volunteer throughout the 1980s. She lived on Wirt Street with her husband, Herbert; and, as evident by the objects on display, was a skilled crafter and quilter.
Doll Cradle, ca. 20th century, gift, Loudoun Preservation Society
This wooden doll cradle has painted details on the rails and balls. The wooden cradle is beautifully crafted, but its maker remains a mystery. It was donated to the museum by The Loudoun Preservation Society which has an interesting connection to Loudoun Museum.
The Loudoun Preservation Society (LPS) was formed in 2008 after the merging of Loudoun Restoration and Preservation Society (LRPS) and the Preservation Society of Loudoun County. In 1967 the LRPS collaborated with a committee of citizens and Town of Leesburg to preserve that log cabin at 14 Loudoun Street SW, which would become the first home of Loudoun Museum.
Toy washing machines, dolls, cradles, quilts, and mattresses all represent aspects of domestic life. These toys reflect the idea that children learn through play, building life skills through imaginative play.
In addition to receiving toys, past generations wrote letters to Santa with their wishes and hopes for Christmas gifts. These letters can offer a look at how children process media, information, and the culture of the era. These two letters to Santa were written in 1943 and 1945 by Bruce McIntosh II (1937-2023).
Letters to Santa, 1943 and 1945, gift, First American Bank
In 1943 and 1945, Bruce was six years old and eight years old, respectively. The 1943 letter is reflective of the World War era Bruce was growing up in, as he asked for “a farm, an army suit, and a machine gun...”.
In 1945, Bruce’s letter does not have the same wartime connection, requesting games and items including “a football game, a dart game, a speedometer, a farm, a racetrack, [and] a table for my school lessons.”
Bruce was a lifelong resident of Loudoun County. He and his wife Jean managed her family farm on Evergreen Mill Road in Waterford…fulfilling part of his wish to Santa. He served on many boards, including the First American Bank, formerly People’s Bank.
These toys in Loudoun Museum’s collection serve as a reminder that older generations were once children with an innate curiosity for the world around them. A world they explored through play and toys, some of which were gifted during the holiday season. The toys we give now are inspiring the next generations of thinkers, problem-solvers, and creators – and that aspect makes the tradition of gifting toys during the holidays just a little more special.