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Toy Bank: Frog Rendered by William O. Fletcher (artist), c. 1938 watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper overall: 21.5 x 29 cm (8 7/16 x 11 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: base: 1 3/4" high, 4 1/2" diameter; overall: 4 15/16" high Index of American Design 1943.8.8483 |
Object 21 of 26
The mechanical bank had a special purpose as a child's toy: it made saving fun; thrift was turned into a game. The spring and lever action was well suited to a wide range of subjects. The bank shown here consists of a bullfrog sitting on a cylinder whose walls are pierced in a latticework design. The frog's right front foot rests on a spring; when the foot is pressed down, the frog's eyes roll and its lower jaw opens to receive coins. Foundries produced mechanical toy banks of cast iron by the millions between about 1870 and 1910. This piece was issued a patent on August 20, 1872.
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