Bell Toys
In the latter half of the eighteenth century, a remarkable phenomenon took place in the Connecticut River Valley when up to fifty hardware manufacturing firms located there. A number of these firms specialized in making the sleigh bells so popular in the country at that time, particularly in the town of East Hampton, which became known as Belltown. The two most prominent of these firms were the Gong Bell Manufacturing Company and N. N. Hill Brass Company.
In the 1870’s, E. C. Barton, one of the partners of the Gong Bell Manufacturing Company had the idea of pairing bells with the mechanical motion of wheels to create a toy that would ring as it moved along. He patented this toy, calling it “Revolving Chimes” and described it as “a pair of cast brass gongs, mounted between two malleable iron wheels.”
As the wheels turned, the gongs would sound. He then added a handle to push or pull the toy and, eventually, attached horses or other figures to the toy. From this beginning, a wonderful industry of bell toys evolved, which included many firms and lasted until well into the twentieth century.
As the bell toys developed, they became elaborate and colorful, reflecting the life of the day. Some of the most popular were the fire engine toys. At that time, responding to a fire required four vehicles; one carrying the steam pump, one the hose, one the ladder, and one the firemen. Toys were built for each of these, with fiery horses leaping forward toward the fire. The photo below shows the steam pump, the firemen, and the ladder truck.
Nursery rhymes, such as “The Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe” and “Ding Dong Bell” were another popular subject for the toys, as were current events. For the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, a toy was made with Christopher Columbus standing at the front of his ship surrounded by his sailors, and, when the North Pole was discovered, in 1909, one was made with Admiral Perry and a polar bear. There was even an inventive toy of Jonah and the Whale made by the N. N. Hill Brass Company.
Each time the wheels revolved, a bell rang and the whale moved to swallow Jonah, who then popped up to be swallowed again. Other toys were made as cartoon characters, rocking horses, circus animals, and clowns. In their heyday, from about 1880 to 1920, these wonderful bell toys became an important part of American folk culture. Today, they are valuable collector’s items.
Share your own memories, thoughts, and stories about bells with Jaan at: jaan@thebellsbook.com