Playthings Of The Past

It's a toy that most parents these days would recoil from in horror, if the powers that be ever let it get all the way to a toy store shelf. But back in the day, the Live Steam Plant wasn't seen as dangerous, but a way to power other toys.
"These were sold from the 1920s to the 1930s," said Adrienne Saint-Pierre, curator for the Fairfield Museum and History Center. "They were popular boys' toys."
The idea behind the steam plant, she said, was to use the steam to power other toys, like ferris wheels, carousels or even small tools, like a lathe, saw or polishing wheel.
"That's definitely not something you would see today," Saint-Pierre laughed. The steam plant was given to the museum by someone who had the toy as an 8-year-old child in 1925.
The steam toy is featured in the new exhibit, Batteries Not Included, which showcases various toys from the late 1800s to the mid-20th century. There's no plastic in these mechanical and clockwork toys, they're made of painted tin, tin-plated steel and cast iron.
Farm animals to this day are a popular toy for the younger set, but they've probably never seen a pair of cows like the ones in the exhibit. This pair of cows can be milked.
"You pour the milk into this hole in the back," Saint-Pierre said. "She has an udder that you use to milk. They also moo, but I'm not quite sure how you get them to moo." READ MORE: http://www.connpost.com/fairfield/ci_11750670