Toy design

Toys, fulfilling as they do one of mankind's most basic needs, have existed for as long as we have. From the earliest times both adults and children have used toys to simulate reality or simply to pass time. Renowned designers, artists and architects have always tried their hand at creating toys: from Frank Lloyd Wright's work with Frobel's building blocks to Josef Hartwig's Bauhaus chess set that is still produced today. Gerrit Rietveld, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Breuer and Andy Warhol also designed toys. However, most often it was craftsmen and -women - such as the seamstress Margarete Steiff (Steiff teddy bears), the carpenters Christiansen (Lego), or the cabinet-maker Hans Beck (Playmobil) - who designed the most successful and enduring toys.The title presents 115 products - from toy classics to brand new inventions, all with compelling shapes and functions. Introductory essays to each chapter presenting the history and significance of tricycles, play stores, etc., as well as a designer and retailer index round off the book. This makes it interesting to read for all toy lovers aged 0-99!