Not on display

Monorail

1960s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This object was donated to the Museum from part of the Michael Buhler collection of tin toys. Tin toys cover a vast array of subject matters ranging from the space age to domestic objects. This mechanical toy scene was made in Japan. It was not until the fifties that the Japanese firms begun to make their own original designs. They were mainly concerned with the American market meaning that their toys reflect American culture in some way. The idea of transport has been taken up by many manufacturers and different examples can be seen in Buhler's collection including fairground rides, ski lifts and simple train tracks.

The Japanese tin toy production was at its peak in the 1960s. Increased labour costs and the demand for die cast models affected the production of tin toys and contributed to its decline in both quality and quantity, as well as plastic being used as a material for toys which was cheaper and safer than tin.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Mechanical Toy Scene
  • Tin Vehicle
Brief description
Mechanical toy scene with a monorail, made in Japan in the 1960s.
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'SIGN OF IB QUALITY / MADE IN JAPAN'
Credit line
Given by Alexandra Buhler
Object history
This object was donated by Alexandra Buhler from the Michael Buhler collection. Buhler collected a vast array of tin toys and published a book on the subject called 'Tin Toys 1945-1975'. His collection covers a variety of subject matters ranging from space toys to more domestic objects. The collection contains tin toys from around the world including Japan, Europe, India and the USA.
Summary
This object was donated to the Museum from part of the Michael Buhler collection of tin toys. Tin toys cover a vast array of subject matters ranging from the space age to domestic objects. This mechanical toy scene was made in Japan. It was not until the fifties that the Japanese firms begun to make their own original designs. They were mainly concerned with the American market meaning that their toys reflect American culture in some way. The idea of transport has been taken up by many manufacturers and different examples can be seen in Buhler's collection including fairground rides, ski lifts and simple train tracks.

The Japanese tin toy production was at its peak in the 1960s. Increased labour costs and the demand for die cast models affected the production of tin toys and contributed to its decline in both quality and quantity, as well as plastic being used as a material for toys which was cheaper and safer than tin.
Collection
Accession number
B.96:1, 2-2010

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Record createdSeptember 28, 2010
Record URL
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