Three join National Toy Hall of Fame
By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 11/14/2007 12:00:00 PM
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Three new members this month join an exclusive list of the toy industry’s most-loved playthings in they Strong National Museum of Play’s National Toy Hall of Fame.
This year’s inductees are the Atari 2600 game system, the kite and the Raggedy Andy doll. They were voted into the Hall from among a group of 12 toy finalists that included the baby doll, Big Wheel, Game of Life, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony, the pogo stick, the skateboard, Spirograph and Yahtzee.
Atari 2600 Game System is the first video game system inducted into the Hall of Fame. While not the first home video game system on the market—an honor that belongs to the Magnavox Odyssey—Atari’s unit stands out from among the many early home game systems for its status as the first such system to truly take-off among consumers when it debuted in 1977, thanks to its superior features.
"The 2600 had better games, more colorful graphics, and sharper sound than the original systems,” says Jon-Paul Dyson, Strong Museum’s vice president for exhibit research and development, and associate curator for electronic games. “Most importantly, players could change games by inserting new cartridges. And what games! Combat, Space Invaders, Pac Man, Frogger and countless others mesmerized an entire generation and made video games a part of everyday play in the home. The Atari 2600 was a true game-changing toy.”
The kite, a staple of children entertainment for more than 2,000 years, joins a long list of non-branded playthings on the Hall’s list of greats, thanks to its timeless ability to inspire wonder in children and stir the souls of adults.
Raggedy Andy enters the Hall of Fame on the strength of thousands of petitions the Strong Museum says it has received in the five years since Raggedy Ann entered the Hall as a solo act in 2002.
“The dolls are at last reunited in this place of honor—where they belong, together of course, for always,” says Patricia Hogan, Strong’s curator.
Criteria for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame at Strong National Museum of Play include: icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); longevity (the toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations); discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and innovation (the toy profoundly changed play or toy design).
To date, 38 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
Where are the Care Bears on this list?
Or Strawberry Shortcake? Surely beloved classics! Maybe next year, eh?
Rick Reising - 2007-11-14 17:09:00 EST
Or Strawberry Shortcake? Surely beloved classics! Maybe next year, eh?
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Strong's Toy Hall of Fame grows by three
Nov 6, 2008 -
National Toy Hall of Fame Welcomes New Inductees
Nov 18, 2010
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