Toys · 1940
Playtime Wonders and Wartime Dreams in 1940
As global tensions rose in 1940, classic wooden craftsmanship, 3D stereo viewers, and superhero trading cards offered escape for children. Living rooms echoed with the hum of electric trains while schoolyards buzzed with intense marble competitions.
- Sawyer's | Stereoscopic Viewer
View-Master Model A
Popularized at the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair, this round viewer brought scenic 3D color images alive on kodachrome film reels.
- Gum, Inc. | Bubble Gum Cards
1940 Gum, Inc. Superman Trading Cards
Kids scrambled to collect all 72 full-color cards featuring the Man of Steel fighting crime, packaged with a stick of bubble gum.
- The Lionel Corporation | Model Trains
Lionel O-Gauge Steam Freight Sets
Die-cast metal steam locomotives pulling detailed freight cars around oval tracks served as the ultimate centerpiece for home play layouts.
- Parker Brothers | Board Game
Monopoly Board Game
Families gathered around kitchen tables during uncertain times to buy real estate, build hotels, and bankrupt their opponents.
- LEGO | Wooden Pull Toys | Denmark
LEGO Handcrafted Wooden Toys
Crafted meticulously in Ole Kirk Christiansen's Danish workshop, vibrant wooden ducks and trucks brought joy long before plastic bricks arrived.
- Knickerbocker Toy Co. | Soft Doll
Knickerbocker Raggedy Ann Doll
Featuring yarn hair, a printed triangular nose, and a sewn heart reading 'I Love You', this soft cloth doll remained a beloved nursery staple.
- Comet Model Airplane Co. | Craft Kits
Comet Balsa Wood Airplane Kits
Aspiring young aviators meticulously glued lightweight balsa wood ribs and tissue paper to construct flying scale replicas of military aircraft.
- Akro Agate Company | Playground Craze
Akro Agate Glass Marbles
Vibrant swirl-patterned glass marbles were prized possessions for ring-bound schoolyard tournaments across North America.
Enjoyed your trip back in time?