MC antique toy exhibit opens

The gifts parents are grabbing off the shelves for their children this holiday season bear only a slight resemblance to typical toys from the past. 
Before miniature laptop computers and stuffed animals that walk and talk on their own were commonplace – children played with toys that relied heavily on the imagination.

A collection of dolls, figurines and playthings dating as far back as the early 1900s is currently on display at the Madison County Historical Society’s Arcade museum.

“Toys and Christmas just go together,” said historical society volunteer Beppy White, who organized the display that will be at the museum throughout the holiday season.

The museum’s cases include toys donated to the organization by Madison County residents, including the late Jesse Fishback and James and Braxton Berry. In past years, these items have been displayed at the Kemper Residence.

The Arcade’s exhibit also showcases other toys on loan from Madison County residents Sandy Stowe and Steve Grayson.

The tattered edges of an aged copy of “The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel” by Thornton W. Burgess – on loan from Madison County resident Ann Ferguson’s collection of old children’s books – rests atop a glass case filled with wooden and tin figurines.

These antique items are from the “green” era of toys – as they do not require batteries or need to be plugged in, according to Ferguson, who volunteers at the Arcade museum.

Inside the case, Popeye – the popular sailor cartoon character – joins a marching band of toy men and women seemingly performing for onlookers while they pose with their instruments ready to come alive.

Select pieces from miniature tea sets and an old train collection are scattered about a second display, which also holds a toy tractor and farm equipment whose paint has almost all worn off from many years of use. Nearby, a set of Native American figures crouch down with bow and arrow pointed toward a group of buffalo that appear ready to charge. 

The cases also display various dolls, including some African-American dolls, which were uncommon in the early 20th century, according to Ferguson.
“The black figures are quite unusual in collections, but they do exist,” she said.

Christmas postcards with pictures of holly wreaths and evergreen trees dot the display cases in between the many toys.

These cards – all sent in December 1907 by Nellie Dix of Lancaster County – include short but sweet holiday greetings sent to family members and friends. The cards are on loan from Dix’s son, Penn Bowers, a member of the historical society.

The Arcade museum – at 124 N. Main St. in Madison – is regularly open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Contact the museum for its holiday hours. For information, call (540) 948-2236.