Tiny Transportation

TINY TRANSPORTATION

Tiny Transportation is a collaborative effort between the students in the 2012-2013 Applied Imaging Systems minor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the National Museum of Play at The Strong. This project showcases various modes of travel in toy form dating from 1903 to 2001.

In this group project students implemented an imaging systems workflow which consisted of studio capture, color management, and book design, along with digital and print output.

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1903

Curved Dash Oldsmobile

ca. 1903 Chicago, IL

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This toy is modeled after the Curved Dash Oldsmobile. It is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile and was in production from 1901 to 1907.

Its 5 horsepower engine allowed the car to reach a top speed of 20 mph.

Much of the car’s success was due to a fire in 1901 that destroyed many other car models before they were approved for production.

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1908

Pierce Great-Arrow

ca. 1908 Winchendon, MA

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Pierce-Arrow was an American automobile manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, and was active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.

This toy is modeled after the Great Arrow, a larger and more luxurious car that Pierce-Arrow designed in 1904 for the upscale market. The solidly built, four-cylinder car won the Glidden Trophy in 1905, an endurance run to celebrate the most reliable car.

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1910

Royal Mail Coach

ca. 1910 England

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Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in Great Britain and this toy is a detailed representation of the coaches used in the late 18th to early 19th century. Coaches were used in Europe to make the postal delivery services faster and more efficient. The mail coach was designed to fit a driver, a seat on the outside for the post office employee, and room for up to four passengers on the inside. Traveling was done mostly at night due to the roads being less busy.

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1915

Green Limousine

ca. 1915 Nuremberg, Germany

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Early limousines started out much smaller than their modern counterparts.

This particular toy limousine was modeled after the styling of luxury vehicles.

It has a spring-wound movement, and features brake and reverse levers that help bring out the imagination of anyone playing with it.

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1920

Sedan

ca. 1920 France

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This spring-wound sedan features a working steering wheel and a working spotlight powered by an onboard battery. The manufacturer, Jouet de Paris specialized in quality toy trains and cars, and operated until 1965.

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1921

Roadster

ca. 1921 Freeport, IL

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This toy car was made by Structo Manufacturing Company to represent one of the classic modes of transportation, the roadster. It has a heavily geared motor as well as a spare wheel on the rear. The fine detailing of this car is a signature of the company that promises, “Structo Toys, make men of boys�.

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1925

Coal Delivery Wagon

ca. 1925 Winchendon, MA

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This metal delivery wagon is a pull toy and features details made with leather, paint, and paper. Pull toys were first manufactured in the United States in the mid to late 1800s. Cast iron wheels and other elements were used in conjunction with tin plates to create children’s pull toys. Since molds were used to manufacture these toys, they could easily be mass-produced.

Some toys were simple carts and rolling vehicles that were propelled by hand, while others came equipped with the traditional pull toy string.

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1927

Tin Lizzie

ca. 1927 New York, NY

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The Ford Model T, also known as the Tin Lizzie, is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford’s Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to October 1927. “Tin Lizzie” was a nickname given to the car due to its low cost and quick, lizard-like movements. The Model T was the first automobile mass-produced on moving assembly lines, making it affordable for the middle class. This “Tin Lizzie” toy is hand painted with amusing slogans and graffiti, a common practice by owners of these cars, especially college boys wishing to attract girls with their humor.

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1928

Ferdinand Strauss Double Decker Bus

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ca. 1928 New York, NY

This double-decker bus made by Ferdinand Strauss Corporation is a rare collectible. With two long benches inside the bus, and ten additional benches on the second level, it has plenty of room to accommodate its passengers.

This spring-wound vehicle was made with sheet metal and has both hand-painted details and lithographed text.

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1940

Milk Delivery Wagon

ca. 1940 West Cummington, MA

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Before the introduction of motor vehicles, most goods had to be moved about by horse-drawn delivery wagons. Before inexpensive refrigeration existed, milkmen would deliver fresh milk daily to customer’s homes. This toy vehicle’s noble steed was handcrafted out of felt by artisan Alice C. Steele.

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1950

1950 Cadillac Sedan

ca. 1950 Japan

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After World War II, Cadillac cars had many features that became synonymous with the classic American automobile such as tailfins, wraparound windshields, and chrome and stainless steel details. These innovative styling features led to it being awarded Motor Trend magazine’s first ever “Car of the Year” award.

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1950

1955 Jaguar XKE Sedan Fastback

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ca. 1950 Japan

Apart from its flashy paint job, The 1955 Jaguar XKE Sedan Fastback “flower power” toy car emulates the style of cars that many Americans were driving during the 1950s. A fastback is a type of car whose roof starts to continuously slope down the back. Many fastback styled cars were made in America during this time period and were also known as “torpedo backs”.

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1950

Pioneer PX-3

ca. 1950 - 1960 Japan

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This wind-up whale hails from the 1950’s, when space travel excited many young children who dreamed of growing up to be astronauts. When operating, the whale moves forward in a rocking motion, the mouth opens and closes, the side panels flap, and the eyeballs roll around inside their blue domes.

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1954

Tonka Parcel Delivery Van

ca. 1954 Mound, MN

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Construction and maintenance contractors often use these types of vans to store and transport cargo. This toy is styled after the international Harvester Metro van, which was used in most major cities for deliveries of baked goods, parcels and other items. Models similar to this delivery van have been used for decades since.

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1960

Volkswagen Beetle

ca. 1960 Minnesota, USA

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The Volkswagen Beetle is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until 2003. With over 21 million manufactured, the Beetle is the longest-running and most manufactured car of a single design platform, worldwide. Production of the VW Beetle continued throughout World War II and later expanded to European and Western markets.

Volkswagen promoted the 1962 Volkswagen Beetle by asking buyers to “Think small.� While the overall appearance of the Beetle changed little over its life span, it received over 78,000 incremental changes during its production.

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1960

Lumber Truck

ca. 1960 USA

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In the decades following World War II, lumber trucks became a common sight.

Lumber trucks would pass through towns at any hour, day or night, to transport finished wood out of mills. Like this scaled down version, lumber trucks carry large logs of wood that are all placed on the back of the truck bed. This toy not only came with nine logs, but a working handle to raise and lower its load.

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1960

14 Wheeler Semi-Truck

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ca. 1960 New York, NY

The technology to mold toy vehicles from plastic came about after World War II. This Big Rig, manufactured by Louis Marx and Company, has a red plastic cab, blue sheet metal chassis, and rubber tires. Semi-trucks became a more common sight on the road after the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.

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1960

Recreational Van

ca. 1960 Germany

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Recreational vehicles are part van, part home. The goals and intentions of RV owners vary, but they all enjoy a lifestyle that is free from worrying about where to stay for the night. While it is not a direct copy, this toy is most likely stylized after the Volkswagen Bus that was common in the 1960’s.

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1960

Crusader 101 Remote Control Car

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ca. 1960 New Jersey

Upon its release in 1960, the Crusader 101 Remote Control Car quickly became one of the most popular toy cars on the market. It was not modeled after one specific car, but rather a combination of elements of several cars. Its influences range from the Pontiac’s pointed hood, to Cadillac’s taillights, and the overall styling of a Lincoln Continental. Its larger size allowed for details unseen in previous toy cars, such as adjustable sun visors, movable steering wheel, and enough trunk space for a spare tire.

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1970

Tonka Hydraulic Dump Truck

ca. 1970 USA

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Children have enjoyed playing with their Tonka Trucks for generations.

The toy’s durability encourages them to be used in the mud and gravel, just like the real vehicles they are modeled after.

In 2001, The National Museum of Play at The Strong introduced Tonka trucks into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

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1970

1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

ca. 1970 Japan

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Camaros were originally designed as a competitor to Ford’s Mustang.

Upon this car’s release, it was classified as either a pony or a muscle car.

This toy car represents the style of the second generation of Camaros, which were built bigger and heavier and whose overall styling was more like a Ferrari than the first generation.

National Museum of Play at the strong

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1999

1953 Chevrolet Corvette

ca. 1999 Spain

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This die-cast model of a 1953 Corvette represents one of the more popular and enduring sports cars available to American consumers. The Corvette first appeared in 1953 and is still in production over 50 years later. At the time, Chevrolet’s Corvette, along with Ford Motor Company’s Thunderbird, defined the classic American sports car. This toy version has excellent attention to detail and working hinges.

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2001

1957 Plymouth Fury

ca. 2001 China

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The Fury was introduced in 1957 when famous automobile designer Virgil Exner teamed up with Chrysler. Together they introduced the Forward Look, a design theme known for its use of long hoods, short decks, and fins. Even this smaller version conveys the aggressive yet sleek look of the Fury.

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Please use the 3D glasses provided to enjoy the images on the following pages.

Like the toys in Tiny Transportation, 3D anaglyph images have been enjoyed by both children and adults for decades. Despite the dated technology, red/cyan 3D images have proven the test of time, giving life to flat images and teaching children about depth and perception.

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Project Manager Sam Cannon Design Sam Cannon Denis Doorly Ira Morris Photography Alex Bohn Denis Doorly Marcus Elliott Matthew Kashtan Sean Kolonay Ira Morris Christopher Rice Katie Thompson Corinne Weber Amanda Yanez Retouching Marcus Elliott Matthew Kashtan Katie Thompson Text Heather Casey Denis Doorly Christopher Rice Corinne Weber Harry Yatkowitz Amanda Yanez 3D Phantograms Sean Kolonay File Management Livingston Maclake Andrew Ngu

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We would like to acknowledge the people who helped make this book possible.

First and foremost, we would like to thank The National Museum of Play at The Strong for allowing us access to their collection and Lauren Sodano for her assistance in the archives, as well as providing background information on the artifacts.

Nitin Sampat, Associate Professor at RIT, oversaw and assisted in the production.

We would also like to thank Bruce Ian Meader for his guidance in layout design and typography. Thank you to the Printing Applications Lab at RIT for providing access to their press, and John Dettmer for his technical expertise. Mohawk Paper should also be thanked for its generous donation of the paper used to produce this book. Last but certainly not least we would like to thank the CIAS Dean’s office for funding the production.

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TINY TRANSPORTATION

© IS Press Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner.

Content The toys featured in this book are a part of the National Museum of Play at The Strong’s permanent collection.

Access to these artifacts was generously made possible by the collection’s manager at the museum, Lauren Sodano.

Production Students in the Imaging Workflows Class Applied Imaging Systems Minor, Spring 2013 Capture Canon 5D Mark II Profoto Acute Pack with Acute Pro Heads X-Rite Color Checker Processing Adobe Lightroom 4 Photoshop CS6 ProfileMaker 5.1 Layout Adobe InDesign CS6 Typefaces Neutraface 2 Paper Mohawk Superfine Smooth Ultrawhite i-Tone 216gsm Printer HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press RIT Printing Applications Lab

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