The Richard C. Stevens Collection May 22, 2010 - RSL Auction ...

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American
merican Clockwork
lockwork Toys
oys
Louis Hertz, the pioneering collector, prolifi c researcher and renowned author
of books about antique toys and banks, reserved a place of honor for his discussion of
the American clockwork toy industry. He affi rmed that these miniaturized, automated
“Slices of Life” represented the highest level of achievement in design and function in
the 19th century. Ironically, in the period, few children ever had the chance to enjoy
their novel and amusing charms because they were very expensive. Ives Blakeslee circulated
a list of their wares at the Centennial Exhibit in Philadelphia. The prices ranged
from $2.00 to $5.00, an enormous sum of money for 1876. Jerome Secor’s “Freedman’s
Bank” was even more expensive, a whopping $7.50.
The clockwork toy industry emerged in Connecticut where clock-making had
fl ourished since the mid 18th century. Clock manufacturers such as Seth Thomas
could provide an abundant supply of inexpensive brass mechanisms to toy designers as
a perfect drive engine for their fanciful and intricate creations. George Brown, Stevens
& Brown, Jerome Secor, Automatic Toy Works, Ives-Blakeslee and Merriam Mfg. were
among the most prominent players in the Connecticut toy industry.
The Ives Brothers, possibly because of their association with Secor, produced
the most realistically elaborate clockwork toys. They often chose to pictorialize their
subjects as observed from everyday life. Roosters pecking at their feet (127), children
see-sawing up and down (123) and a myriad of self-walking and dancing fi gures to
name just a few.
Ives also produced a line of toys depicting African-American subjects at their
daily toil. Included in this sale are the Preacher at his Pulpit (124 & 126), a “Women’s
Rights” activist believed to be a characterization of real-life suffragist Sojourner Truth
(129), “Uncle Tom” the Fiddler (122), “Aunt Chloe” the Washerwoman (117), a Nurse
Maid and Her Ward (130) and a pair of Sparring Pugilists (118). Rounding out this
offering of rare toys is the highly prized “Banjo Player” (131) by Jerome Secor. The
production standards and quality of these clockwork toys was of such a high caliber,
that, oftentimes, they still operate as well as they did when they were brand new.
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