German Toys

Rare Schoenhut Humpty Dumpty Circus Collection We are proud to offer a wonderful collection of early 20th Century Schoenhut German Humpty Dumpty toy collection, handmade from various materials. This collection includes 2 clowns, a ring master, 2 ladders, 6 stools, 2 chairs, a horse, a donkey and a poodle. It’s rare to find such a vast collection in close to untouched condition. Size in inches: Figures: H 9” x W 4” x D 2”, horses: H 9” x W 2.5” x D 2.5”, poodle: H 5” x W 7” x D 2.5” Ladders H 12” x W 2” x D 0.3”, chairs: H 5” x W 3” x D 3”, stools: H 2.5” x W 2.5” x D 2.5” Origin: German Period: 1910-1920 Material: Wood, cotton and fur Condition: These items are completely solid in structure and form if not a bit worn due to its age and natural use. For the age of these items these examples are in close to unused condition and have obviously been very well taken care of. The horses necks are loose in stability but firmly in place. Wear around the stools is also present. With light fading and chips across all the items as you would expect from toys that are over 100 years old. Close up photos have been supplied to illustrate these points so please observe carefully and propose questions to us if needed. History: Albert Schoenhut, a German immigrant, began producing piano toys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1872. Thereafter, Schoenhut's toy production expanded to include dolls, dollhouses, blocks, and other wooden toys. In 1903, the firm applied for a patent for a clown toy that would become one of the most popular American toys of all time. By 1904, the company was producing the Humpty Dumpty Circus in great numbers. The circus, at that time, included the clown, elephant, white horse, poodle, and hobo. Humpty Dumpty success The Humpty Dumpty Circus was a great hit. The circus personal grew over the years to include a Lady Circus Rider, Lady Acrobat, Ringmaster, Gent Acrobat, Negro Dude (a minstrel), Chinese Acrobat, and a Lion Tamer. Animals included an Alligator, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Buffalo, Bulldog, Burro, Arabian Camel, Bactrian Camel, Cat, Cow, Deer, Donkey, Elephant, Giraffe, Gazelle, Goat, Goose, Gorilla, Hippopotamus, Brown Horse, White horse, hyena, Kangaroo, Leopard, Lion, Monkey, Ostrich, Pig, Poodle, Rabbit, Rhinoceros, Sea Lion, Sheep, Tiger, Wolf, Zebra, and a Zebu. The 1906 "Everybody's Magazine" ad shown above illustrates some of the performers available at that time. Most early animals had glass eyes which were all changed to a hand painted eye by the 1920s. Even the painted eyes were changed to a decaled eye in many animals as another cost savings measure. Over the years, the Schoenhut company made many other wooden toys including wooden doll houses...