NASA Moon Explorer
Mechanical Toy
ca. 1955 (manufactured)
ca. 1955 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A box battery operated toy vehicle with a remote control. The vehicle is mostly made from tinplated mild steel with some plastic elements. It has four legs, with red plastic feet and black concertina effect tops, using the remote control activates its walking action. The main body is coloured white and red. There is a white plastic dish on the attached to a dome on the top, and a clear plastic cockpit at the front, inside which is an astronaut pilot. On the side is a door that opens to reveal another astronaut. The remote control is in the shape of a blue plastic rocket with two buttons, one red the other white, it is attached to the vehicle by a green wire. The box is plain card on the bottom with a printed top showing a picture of the toy on it.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Title | NASA Moon Explorer (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Lithographed tinplated mild steel, plastic, printed card |
| Brief description | Boxed battery operated toy vehicle, Moon Explorer, made by Yonezawa in Japan ca 1955. |
| Physical description | A box battery operated toy vehicle with a remote control. The vehicle is mostly made from tinplated mild steel with some plastic elements. It has four legs, with red plastic feet and black concertina effect tops, using the remote control activates its walking action. The main body is coloured white and red. There is a white plastic dish on the attached to a dome on the top, and a clear plastic cockpit at the front, inside which is an astronaut pilot. On the side is a door that opens to reveal another astronaut. The remote control is in the shape of a blue plastic rocket with two buttons, one red the other white, it is attached to the vehicle by a green wire. The box is plain card on the bottom with a printed top showing a picture of the toy on it. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Object history | This object was acquired for the V&A Museum of Childhood's exhibition Space Age: Exploration, Design and Popular Culture, which opened on 22nd November 2007. It was bought at Christie's in November 2005 as part of a collection of robots and space toys. The collector, Paul Lips, ran an antique toy shop in Milan from the early 1990s, where he became particularly interested in space toys. The collection covered what he believed to be their golden age: 1955 to 1965. |
| Historical context | After the Second World War, Japan became the pre-eminent manufacturer of tin toys through direct financial support from the United States for its toy industry, and through preferential access to US toy markets. Importantly, Japanese manufacturers were able to perfect small battery-powered motors, which gave Japanese toys a superior range of movements. One of the most celebrated subjects expressed in tin toys is space and space travel. Many highly imaginative toys were produced in the era of the Space Age (1957-1972), inspired by the widespread optimism of the times, and by a fresh public appetite for all things space. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.57:1 to 3-2005 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | November 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
