Architecture. As you walk in, the color skins were perfect. Feela place where people welcome because you have easy access to the different chambers and you are part of this building and part of the government and thats the intent the stop critics all over United States marveled at it as well. One thing st. Paul people were living with was this idea that we were still in the frontier. People were thinking we lived in log cabins and did not have much modern conveniences. To see favorable reports and artists commenting and architects commenting about the greatness of the elting, it made saint paul got a notch. , citing city of culture i think people were proud to say we have arrived. Our building rivals anything in new york, philadelphia or chicago. Say we havething to a building that will stand the test of time. All weekend long, American History tv is featuring saint hall, minnesota, home to the largest hmong population in the u. S. During the vietnam war, the among people of laos fought communism alongside u. S. Forces. Fled genocide of laos seeking safe haven of the United States. Together, with her Comcast Cable tourers, the cspan city staff visited many sites exploring the citys rich history. Learn more about saint hall all weekend here on American History tv. Kids more fun than a circus the new mattel musical going. Up pops the jack. Way, somethingle kids can enjoy its slinky, slinky, a fun and wonderful way. Its fun for a girl and a boy g. I. Joe, g. I. Joe, fighting from the land and the sea and the air today, we are at the Minnesota History center in downtown st. Paul. Opened inw exhibit may of 2014 called toys of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Toys are something everyone can relate to as a child, so we wanted to talk about the sheer joy of being a child, being a baby boomer, but get people thinking about how toys reflect the time in which there made. We chose toys that were popular for the time and some that are not so wellknown. Populart were nationally but have their origins here in minnesota. Cootie was a wellknown join the 1950s and had it start in minneapolis when it was marketed at eight mens apartment batemans department store. Wellknown which is throughout the world for their durability got their start in minnesota in the 1940s. Twister, a very wellknown party game which came out in 1966 and that it start in minnesota. The game initially was not that popular. In fact, some Department Stores refused to carry it. Sears roebuck would not carry this game. This was the early 1960s. It wasnt quite the same for men and women to be in close contact with one another, so this is breaking the rules. 1966, Johnny Carson and ava gabor played the game on the tonight show and sales took off. Gameis a very wellknown that got its start in minnesota. We have three living room 50s, oneone from the from the 60s and one from the 70s. Within each living room setting, you will see the toys displayed in various sub themes. We have Television Set running in each of the three settings where you could see commercials and tv shows from the time and see how Important Television shows were for the marketing of toys. 1950s, postwar america, are skyrocketing, Consumer Spending is up, more kids mean more toys. This is really when the toy industry goes into high gear. There are two things that help that along. One is first and foremost television. Television is an opportunity for 20 manufacturers to market directly to children. Probably the most successful manufacturer to do that is mattel. In 1955, they signed a oneyear contract with the Mickey Mouse Club to advertise on television and it is extremely successful. I am a guitar and i have strings do you recognize this mouse guitar, its just like the one the mouseketeers gave me. The second thing is the introduction of classics which was introduction of plastics will stop wood and metal, the materials toys were traditionally made of were in short supply. After world war ii, plastics are being used to make toys. Its much cheaper to make them. It durable. Kids cannot break them as easily as they would way. Plastics become very important to the marketing of toys in the 1950s. Manufacturers had to vision of the future in the 1950s. One that was based on true science. They were marketing chemistry , the construction kits erector set which actually came out much earlier than the 1950s reallyroduced in teen 13 reached its heyday in the 1950s. At the other end of the spectrum is the future in terms of ,opular culture and movies television, in Science Fiction and pulp literature. Thats where you see robots, ray guns, all of those inifestations of the future a very fictitious oldfashioned. Those were equally popular. Probably the most important actor contribute into the development of scientific toys is the launch of the soviet satellite sputnik. This is a wakeup call for america. We could be behind the russians in terms of science and technology. A slew of educational toys start to come out in the 1950s. The best example we have any toys exhibit is the alpha one Ballistic Missile which came out in 1958 and was actually designed by rocket scientists and tested at cape canaveral. Kidsis an opportunity for to get a serious dose of science and technology. Up, i want to be a mommy. You can play mommy right now with betsy what see. 19 60s the 1960s as the golden age of dolls. Most of these dolls, if not all whitem are primarily dolls. Africanamerican children and children of other races were more or less relegated to playing with white dolls. Major contribution to changing the conception of race and dolls comes in 1951 when sara lee is introduced. Shes the brainchild of a florida businesswoman who felt it was important for children of all races to have a more realistic image of africanamericans. Sculptor named a Sheila Burling game to work up a doll based on actual africanamerican models. The doll came out in 1951 and. As very popular it was very shortlived and only in production for about two years, in part because of the inferior materials it was made of. It was created from tended to fade and break, but it in an important step developing a more even playing ground for race in terms of how africanamerican children were or trade in the toy industry. The 1960sin section. This is a time of great change in america with more and revolution and the fascination and blurring of gender roles. A lot of that was reflected in the toys of the time. One of the best examples is barbie. Introduced in 1959 by mattel. But she becomes a symbol of the 60s and that she is a role model for young women. Mattelly, the folks at got interested in barbie. They did not think the idea of a doll that had an adult image was going to be popular with kids will stop the real inspiration for barbie was actually ruth handlers barton ruth handlers daughter, barbara. She saw barbara playing with paper dolls and giving them a adult roles and realized there was a niche to be had here. Came out in 1959, was very popular. The first 350,000 in year and what made barbie successful is the ability to accessorize. There were a plethora of outfits, cars, barbies cream house that you could buy. It was a way of capturing the imagination of the child and ping them interested and interested in the character. That was also one of the criticisms of barbie that she was materialistic and had unrealistic or portions. And this was detrimental to young women and set very unrealistic goals. On the other side was his idea you could be anything he wanted to be an barbie was a great example of that. G. I. Joe andet authentic g. I. Joe equipment, you will have the greatest fun youve ever had in playing soldiers. Wizard might could not have with out g. I. Tion joe. He is 50 years old this year. With the brainchild of don , Vice President of marketing and hasbro, a came out in 1964. He was adamant with his association that it not be called a doll he could and would never sell with boys if it was wased a doll will stop it very popular when g. I. Joe first came out. Part of its popularity came from the fact that you could accessorize. There were 75 different accessories you could buy for g. I. Joe. Weapons, equipment, vehicles, all very realistic all stop the doll was very popular. Unfortunately, as the vietnam war on throughout the 1960s, america became very wary of military culture and the popularity of g. I. Joe klein. Furloughg. I. Joe on briefly and reinvented him in the 1970s as an adventurer. He was no longer a military figure. He was now funding terminals, having all sorts of adventures. He transformed himself into a different kind of character. Its interesting to track his tail from 1964 to 1970 and the houses popularity wanes with the vietnam war. Now we are in the 1970s section. The 1970s in america is a time of great disillusionment will stop we have an economic recession, the oil embargo is causing gas prices to go sky are starting to see more singleparent family and kids are spending more time in day care. To spend moreing time playing with their peers. That. Ys are reflective of for example, you see more group type games during that time. Kids are immersed in fantasy probably the greatest tonic of all comes out in the 1970s is star wars. This movie to be as successful as it was. Even the film studio, 20th century fox, gave the merchandising rights to george lucas not realizing how important that form was how important that film is going to be. The merchandising of the figures originally was going to go to mega corporation. They passed on it and ken are picked it up. Kenner picked it up. When it came out, it was such a success that they could not produce the toys fast enough. By the time of christmas am a 1970 seven, they were giving kids earlybird certificates, basically a range check for a series of four figures which they could then redeem in early 1978. Probably one of the best examples of how a film was successfully merchandised. Figures that came out in 1977 in 1978 or a new format. They were three and threequarter inches tall. G. I. Joe was almost one foot tall and thats the goal for a lot of Action Figures from the 60s and early 70s. The star warssons figures were smaller was because of the oil embargo of 1970s it compelled manufacturers to make plastic toys in not only smaller quantities but literally be smaller. The figures became so popular that when g. I. Joe was resurrect it as an action figure in the 1980s, a came out in that format, the three and threequarter inch or met. Figures started a new trend in Action Figures. One of the most important elements was the development of Computer Technology. You start to see microchips and ins simon which comes out 1978 is a big example. Texas instruments, with speak and spell using digital technology. These may seem archaic today, of this is the forerunner Computer Technology we use in games today. Between 1950s through