Toys, games, and dolls form one of the most cherished groups of objects in the collection of the Oysterponds Historical Society. Most date from the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. Only a small selection is on view here; the Society’s doll collection, for example, could easily be the subject of one or two separate exhibitions.

There are numerous large toys: carts, sleighs, rocking horses, doll buggies, wheelbarrows, farm wagons, and doll houses – but there is only room in the present exhibition for one – the Irish Mail. The selection on view of a variety of wind-up toys, pull toys, blocks, puzzles, and game boards, gives an idea of the extent of the toy collection. Separate exhibitions, over time, will be given to some of these categories of toys as well as to our large collection of illustrated children’s books.