Name/Title
PanoramaEntry/Object ID
00.144.1Description
Green child's paperboard toy with instructions booklet and a page of tickets. The title of the toy, "Panorama of the Visit of Santa Claus to the Happy Children," is printed on the front of the toy's sleeve. The interior box contains a screen with inset scroll containing lithographed, hand-colored scenes of Santa's visit to children. There is a crank to move the paper from one scene to another. The cover sleeve and the interior box both have scenes of Santa emptying his bag of toys to children below.Context
As the popularity of mass-produced toys increased, innovations were needed to keep up with greater demand. Toys of every medium were once painted by hand—a time-consuming effort. Lithography was the first method of mass printing objects using hydrophobic means: the repulsion of oil and water. However, lithography was a one-color method, prompting its successor, chromolithography, to become more mainstream. Chromolithography involves the same hydrophobic process, but involves several plates, one for each color, rather than a single plate. When done carefully, the object is over-stamped with dozens of layers of color to create a vibrant image. As this paper panorama of various Christmas scenes contains multiple illustrations, the use of chromolithography, while still time-consuming, allowed for this product to be mass-produced for the holiday season more quickly than if it were hand-painted.Made/Created
Manufacturer
Milton BradleyDate made
circa 1900Place
City
Springfield, MassachusettsState/Province
MassachusettsNotes
Made by Milton Bradley and Co.Dimensions
Height
2-3/8 inWidth
8-1/2 inLength
5-1/2 in
