Curated by: Antonina, Cara, Deanna, and Lilyanna Toys and Gender Expectations “We react harshly or impatiently to the extremes of gendered behavior we encounter when it does not match our espoused values” (Holland, 19). Children enjoy the pleasure and freedom of play, it is a natural activity for children to experience starting at young ages….Continue Reading “Boys VS. Girls” Gallery 202B Side Exhibition
Gallery 201B Side Exhibition
Curated by: Antonina, Cara, Deanna, and Lilyanna Sexualized Children’s Toys — L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls are toys that are typically played with by young children. The dolls themselves look to be a regular toy that kids can enjoy. On October 7, 2020, these toys became a spotlight on social media and news channels…Continue Reading Gallery 201B Side Exhibition
Gallery 106B Side Exhibition: Television Commercial Advertisements Across the Decades
Television advertisements aimed at children consumers started in 1952, with the first ever toy commercial featuring Mr. Potato Head. The original Mr. Potato Head commercial shows a version of the toy that lacks the familiar plastic potato body, as at that time the stick-on accessories were intended to be put on an actual potato! Across…Continue Reading Gallery 106B Side Exhibition: Television Commercial Advertisements Across the Decades
Gallery 105 Main Exhibition
History of American Childhoods – Part 2 Curated by: Antonina, Cara, Deanna, and Lilyanna In the second half of Huck’s Raft: A History of American Childhood (2004), Mintz details how childhood has changed from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. The versions of childhood Mintz explores become increasingly recognizable to us as…Continue Reading Gallery 105 Main Exhibition
Gallery 103B Side Exhibition
The Knowing Child vs. The Innocent Child Cara Dore’s Entry: In literature, popular media, and film, we see iterations of the Knowing Child and the Innocent Child. According to Anne Higonnet in her book Knowing Childhood, “Unlike Romantic children who are arranged and presented as a delightful spectacle to be enjoyed, Knowing children are neither available or controllable” (Higonnet,…Continue Reading Gallery 103B Side Exhibition