When Carl Sandburg was described in the verse of Chicago, after "City of Big Shoulders", he might have added, "toy." The Windy City has long served as an international center for invention and production of toys. This rich history is celebrated by an exhibition at the Elmhurst Historical Museum titled, "Toys in the Hood."
Curator Lance Tawzer brought together a collection of toys and games that will rekindle warm memories for the average age and introduce the younger generation to classics like Tinker toys.
Tawzer said the exhibition demonstrates that many popular toys were created much closer to home than the North Pole. For example, the Radio Flyer wagon emblem was produced in Chicago for over 70 years. And the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916, inspired by the large logs he saw used to build the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
