Wooden Soldier Scissor Toy, Nineteenth Century. Ten wooden
soldiers standing on a wooden lattice. Toy Collection Archives.
A highlight of the museum's doll collection is the Izannah
Walker doll. Walker, a Rhode Island native, created this simple
cloth doll, circa 1865, that shows the signs of years of play. This
traditional American doll is contrasted with French bisque dolls
from 1875, which are perfectly coiffed and dressed, their fragility
carefully preserved through the generations. Also on view will be a
Kewpie doll from 1913 and an early Raggedy Ann doll from 1918.
In addition to the display of antique dolls, the exhibition will
celebrate the recent centennial of a classic toy -- the teddy
bear. The exhibition honors this history with a broad array of
teddy bears from the early Twentieth Century.
Other early antique toys on view include carved horses and a lion
from the 1820s, owned by the Clarkson family, notable New Yorkers
who were leaders in state government and business. An intricately
carved and detailed Noah's Ark, made in Germany in 1890, will
also be on view, featuring miniature pairs of animals. Wooden
blocks and puzzles, circa 1900, created by the McLoughlin
Brothers toy company of New York, will be another exhibition
highlight, as well as cast-iron horse-drawn vehicles, circa 1900,
and a brightly colored toy train from the 1890s.
Setting the scene for the toy collection, some of the museum's
celebrated New York paintings, watercolors, prints and
photographs will also be on view. Paintings in the exhibition
depict all five boroughs in wintertime, including a snow-dusted
view of Queens painted from atop the 59th Street Bridge; Staten
Island Ferry passengers on deck, dressed for the cold commute;
the Brooklyn Bridge rising above white streets; and a quiet
corner of the Bronx in a silent snowfall.
Toy Train, circa 1890. Made by Gerbrauchs Muster, Germany.
Marked "G M & Co." Steam engine, coal tender and two
passenger cars. Gift of Mrs Paul F. Brandwein.
The exhibition will also include several images Currier &
Ives prints from the museum's collection, including an oversized
hand colored print of ice skaters on the lake in Central Park, as
well as photographs by the Byron Studio, which document the removal
of snow from city streets after the great blizzard of 1899.
As part of UBS' sponsorship of the 12th Annual "Holiday Train
Show" at the New York Botanical Garden, a sample display of two
model trains will be exhibited in the front windows of The UBS
Art Gallery.
The UBS Art Gallery is at 1285 Avenue of the Americas (between
51st and 52nd Streets). For information, 212-713-2885.
The writers, editors and staff of Antiques and The Arts
Weekly wish you a happy and safe holiday season!
