A recent article in the Princeton Alumni Weekly (http://paw.princeton.edu) mentioned our collection of 48 Wehrmacht miniatures (German toy soldiers from World War II), ca. 1940s. Museum object collection Ex 5042. Gift of Caron Cadle, Class of 1979 and the Class of 1939 Foundation.
This collection comes with several letters describing the collecting efforts of Frederic Fox, Class of 1939 and the campaign of Caron Cadle to finish and bring a collection of these toy soldiers to Princeton.
Here is a brief exerpt: “I received the commission to assemble a collection of toy soldiers of the Third Reich in early June 1978, from Dr. Frederick Fox, Class of 1939, Keeper of Princetoniana. The class of ‘39 wished to present such a collection to Firestone Library as a repository of the culture and mentality of Hitler’s Germany. Dr. Fox had purchased a fine selection of these soldiers in Koblenz during a bicycle tour of Germany in 1939, but had given several to President Eisenhower’s grandson while he was working with the President. After examining Dr. Fox’s remaining soldiers, I was presented with one of them to use as a guide on my journeys. On June 15th, 1978, I departed for Europe, primarily to engage in research for my senior thesis … but equally intrigued by the challenge of finding toys of an era forty years past.” -Caron Cadle, ‘79
For more information, see:
Reggie Polaine, The War Toys = Kriegsspielzeuge. No.1, The Story of Hausser-Elastolin (London: New Cavendish Books, 1979). Cotsen Children’s Library (CTSN) NK8475.M5 S75
And
Was Sich die Hausser-Jugend wünscht! (Germany. Elastolin. 1935-. ; 1936). Cotsen Children’s Library (CTSN) Pamphlets — European 20 — Advertising — Box 1 32567
