The Fenton History Center is presenting some of the toys from our Nanny’s Room, at the Kennedy Library. As we celebrate the holidays, we reflect on the child in all of us and look at toys from our collections. A baby doll with a porcelain face is on display, along with a tin cat push/pull toy, a toy bugle and a toy drum. Toys such as these would conjure a world of ‘make-believe’. During the 19th century, dolls made of porcelain had a very realistic look. Most of the toys were made of wood or metal, not plastic which is ubiquitous today. Toys were, and remain to be, popular gifts for children. Victorians thought of Christmas as a day for children whose wishes in the form of presents became reality. Parents in the Victorian Era believed that they were making memories for their children on this special day. The true spirit of Christmas is in giving and as Charles Dickens wrote, “Merry Christmas to one and all!”
