Object Details
- Park, Bentley J.
- Description
- Noah's ark toys [such as this one] have a long tradition in American culture dating back to the earliest colonialist, with many variation of the stylistic theme. Often, as here, they consist of a house on a flatboat and contain several animals. This one has a roof set on a cloth hinge. Opened, 13 small wooden animals are revealed, including a moose. It is likely that some of the animals are missing, as each animal is a single rather than part of a pair, unlike the Old Testament story. The windows and decoration are hand-painted and the piece is signed "Bentley J. Park, Searsport, Maine, March 4, 1888." Playsets were popular with children of the late 19th Century. Rooted in Puritan belief that children should be seen and not heard, especially on Sabbath, the only permissable toys after attending church were those with biblical themes.
- In the days before public schooling, home education or education that was faith based was common. This toy was inventoried by the donor in 1965 as part of the contents of the Bass Harbor Country Store sent to the Smithsonian Institution. Why this toy was left on the store shelf more than 75 years after its creation must remain subject to conjecture. Considering that the store was located on Mount Desert Island, which was a popular destination for wealthy tourists at the time it was made, perhaps it was made by a local shipbuilding worker to augment support for his family at home, or perhaps it was an antique purchased by the store owner at a later date to provide ambiance reminiscent of a world undergoing rapid change or as a distraction for children of customers.
- Credit Line
- The George C. Seybolt Collection of American Marketing Artifacts
- 1888-03-04
- ID Number
- CL.299567.0154
- accession number
- 299567
- catalog number
- 299567.0154
- Object Name
- figures, set of
- Physical Description
- paint (overall material)
- fabric (overall material)
- wood (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 5 3/4 in x 13 in x 4 1/2 in; 14.605 cm x 33.02 cm x 11.43 cm
- Place Made
- United States: Maine, Searsport
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Religion
- Religion
- Exhibition
- 2W Gateway
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of American History
- depicted
- Noah's Ark
- Subject
- Children
- Bible
- Floods
- Disasters
- Toys
- Christianity
- Education
- Record ID
- nmah_1200893
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-749d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
