Play-makers the Jewish entrepreneurs who created the toy industry in America
Playmakers by Michael Kimmel explores the history of the American toy industry through the experiences of first-generation Jewish American toymakers. Beginning with Morris and Rose Michtom, inventors of the Teddy Bear, the book traces the contributions of pioneers such as the Hassenfeld brothers (Ha...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
W. W. Norton & Company,
[2026]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: | |
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| Summary: | Playmakers by Michael Kimmel explores the history of the American toy industry through the experiences of first-generation Jewish American toymakers. Beginning with Morris and Rose Michtom, inventors of the Teddy Bear, the book traces the contributions of pioneers such as the Hassenfeld brothers (Hasbro), Ruth Moskowicz and Elliot Handler (Mattel), and Joshua Lionel Cowan (Lionel Trains). Kimmel examines how these immigrant families and their descendants shaped American childhood by creating iconic toys, developing a culture of fantasy and imagination, and influencing the broader landscape of children's entertainment, literature, and psychology. The narrative situates the rise of the toy industry within the context of Jewish immigrant experiences, entrepreneurship, and twentieth-century American society. |
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| Physical Description: | xii, 418 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 373-394) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781324105282 1324105283 |
| Author Notes: |
