Yorktown Museum Displays Toys from the Past
By Evan Lefkowitz
When people in Yorktown hear the word “museum,” the first thing they think of is The Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yet, they do not realize a great and informative museum is in their own town.
The Yorktown Museum of History is a place where history comes alive and generations are connected. Housed in Yorktown’s very own Community and Cultural Center, the museum features numerous exhibits of Yorktown’s past, such as Yorktown’s old Rail Road, Yorktown during the Revolutionary War and Yorktown during the 1950s. However, the Yorktown Museum team is proud to unveil their newest dual exhibit titled “Toys Our Parents Played With” and “Hats Off to the Holidays.”
As a guide to a journey back in time, curator and archivist Nancy Augustowski provided a glimpse back into the past, a time the younger generation may be unfamiliar with, but a time parents and grandparents surely remember.
The two exhibits opened on December 7 and will run through March 2014. According to Augustowski, “There are approximately 500 toys on display that go as far back as the 1920s. Most of the toys are borrowed from friends and past collectors.”
For those who are fortunate to go, expect to see classic games and toys enjoyed by past generations. Among the most notable are Barbie and Ken dolls, a G.I. Joe action figure from the 1960s, and the original clue game from the 1940s. The museum additionally features Bozo the Clown, Skully, Mortimer Snered, the wooden dummy used by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, and most of the toys inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
“The oldest toy is probably the dominos. Even though they look brand new, we obtained them from a 99- year-old man, Arthur Lee, who is known as a local legend”, said Augustowski. Other older toys include Chinese checkers, jacks, an old wooden riding horse, Tonka toy trains and cars, and a hula hoop.
Timeless toys that were on display and are still played with today are Lincoln Logs, Legos, Frisbees, Play-Doh, Slinkies and Monopoly.
The other smaller exhibit, “Hats Off to the Holidays,” are scenes created by the nationally known miniature artists Carole and Neal Pruzan. The old fashion hats of different colors and styles are used as the setting for different miniature scenes.
These exhibits will bring back many cherished memories, and provide a window back to a simpler time. It is well worth stopping by.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
