DEPRESSION ERA TOY MAKERS

Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers comics and movies during the 1930's inspired an interest in space, and wonder of all of those things out there. Movies with titles like "Forbidden Planet", Missile Monsters" and "Mars attacks the World" made for entertainment during this depressing time, featured far more action than logic, but nobody seemed to mind.

These stories inspired many to create home made toys, since shiny manufactured toys were simply out of the question for many families. People of that time were self reliant, and made many things for their home, including furniture, clothing,  musical instruments, tools, carts, toys and more. It was unheard of to buy a new piece of wood for a new project.  Nothing was thrown out, but saved for other uses, so the adventure began by finding exactly what was needed from the discarded furniture, leather harnesses, mop and broom handles, tin cans and buttons, boards and cans of lead paint. The hunt could take days before the cutting and shaping took form from their imaginations into unique space age guns.  The inspiration provided many hours of fun.

The tool shed, may or may not have had electricity, depending on where you lived, but it had all of the hand tools needed to build just about anything. Hand saws, hammers, files and rasps, screw drivers and wrenches, braces and assorted wood bits, along with cans of assorted bent nails and screws were available to kids who knew how to use them by watching their fathers build and repair things around the house and farm.
It was as much fun making it as playing.





Inspired by the past, I decided sculpt my own space gun from old furniture parts I had lying around. There is a lot of satisfaction in working with your hands.
Now, if I only had that time machine...............

Do kids today still have that spark of imagination?