Nautilus
Submarine
1950 to 1959 (manufactured)
1950 to 1959 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This Nautilus submarine toy was purchased specifically for the War Games exhibition (2013).
For the exhibition, the museum has sought to build up a strong collection of military toy vehicles, figures and weapons from key manufacturers and also toys which have mirrored significant aspects of warfare over time as well as reflecting fluctuating attitudes to war, war toys and play.
This toy submarine has been selected to be shown in the ‘On the Battlefield’ section of the exhibition which takes a chronological view of how real warfare, both in technological developments and strategic aims, has been reflected in the toys that were made at that time from 1810-now. The submarine has been included to show the mirroring of weaponry of the Cold War period. The Nautilus submarine and Corporal missile were early nuclear innovations of the 1950s, first developed in America. These accurate toy versions reflect the rapid development of weapons during the arms race. They also show the toy industry’s ability to quickly replicate it for a public fascinated by the atomic age.
Toys and games have been used to recruit, normalise or to instil a sense of militarism in children. This has been evident in war toys made for children for hundreds of years and is one of the key messages for the exhibition. These toys work within the permanent collection to show the extent to which messages, values and ideas can be instilled to directly to children through their playthings.
For the exhibition, the museum has sought to build up a strong collection of military toy vehicles, figures and weapons from key manufacturers and also toys which have mirrored significant aspects of warfare over time as well as reflecting fluctuating attitudes to war, war toys and play.
This toy submarine has been selected to be shown in the ‘On the Battlefield’ section of the exhibition which takes a chronological view of how real warfare, both in technological developments and strategic aims, has been reflected in the toys that were made at that time from 1810-now. The submarine has been included to show the mirroring of weaponry of the Cold War period. The Nautilus submarine and Corporal missile were early nuclear innovations of the 1950s, first developed in America. These accurate toy versions reflect the rapid development of weapons during the arms race. They also show the toy industry’s ability to quickly replicate it for a public fascinated by the atomic age.
Toys and games have been used to recruit, normalise or to instil a sense of militarism in children. This has been evident in war toys made for children for hundreds of years and is one of the key messages for the exhibition. These toys work within the permanent collection to show the extent to which messages, values and ideas can be instilled to directly to children through their playthings.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Nautilus (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Nautilus submarine tin toy, made by Marusan, Japan, ca 1950s |
| Physical description | Tin-plate lithograph toy of a Nautilus submarine. The toy is red on the bottom half and black/grey on the top half. There are stands/legs underneath to allow it to say upright. It has a gun at the front and back, and a winding mechanism on the top. Written on the sides in red font are the word Nautilus, B71. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Summary | This Nautilus submarine toy was purchased specifically for the War Games exhibition (2013). For the exhibition, the museum has sought to build up a strong collection of military toy vehicles, figures and weapons from key manufacturers and also toys which have mirrored significant aspects of warfare over time as well as reflecting fluctuating attitudes to war, war toys and play. This toy submarine has been selected to be shown in the ‘On the Battlefield’ section of the exhibition which takes a chronological view of how real warfare, both in technological developments and strategic aims, has been reflected in the toys that were made at that time from 1810-now. The submarine has been included to show the mirroring of weaponry of the Cold War period. The Nautilus submarine and Corporal missile were early nuclear innovations of the 1950s, first developed in America. These accurate toy versions reflect the rapid development of weapons during the arms race. They also show the toy industry’s ability to quickly replicate it for a public fascinated by the atomic age. Toys and games have been used to recruit, normalise or to instil a sense of militarism in children. This has been evident in war toys made for children for hundreds of years and is one of the key messages for the exhibition. These toys work within the permanent collection to show the extent to which messages, values and ideas can be instilled to directly to children through their playthings. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.360-2012 |
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| Record created | January 8, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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