EXHIBITION DISPLAYS: 13. PEDAL CARS

MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD

The success of The Great Exhibition of 1851, for which the Crystal Palace was erected in Hyde Park in London, led to proposals for museums to be created in the city. In 1872, Bethnal Green Museum was opened (below). It was tiled by women from a local prison.

In 1922, its new curator noticed that the children of visitors became bored and noisy so he started to introduce extra child-friendly exhibits. Queen Mary (wife of King George V) helped him by donating toys from the Royal Family. It was not until 1974 that children’s exhibits became its primary focus and it was renamed the ‘Museum of Childhood’.

Nevertheless, the collections and displays were not particulalry inspiring and various other private museums around the country had more interesting content. In 2018, it received a £13 million grant and closed for refurbishment. It is due to re-open in 2022 and this will no doubt inspire other cities to recognize the importance of children’s toys and, in particular, the history of children’s riding toys.

My unique collection includes both pedal cars and the cycle-related riding toys that were sold before and alongside them.

 

1870S BOYS’ PROPELLOR TRICYCLE (A. CHRISTIAN PATENT)

1874 BOYS’ VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE

1878 UNZICKER PATENT ROWING TRICYCLE

1880 JUVENILE PROPELLOR TRICYCLE

1880S HORSE TRICYCLE WITH WOODEN WHEELS

1881 ‘THE FAVOURITE’ JUVENILE OPEN TRICYCLE

1882 BOYS’ WOODEN VELOCIPEDE (W.A HEATH PATENT)

1880S JUEMET TRICYCLE (MADE IN LYON, FRANCE)

1880S JUVENILE VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE

1890 ‘BENZ’ CHILDREN’S CARRIAGE

1890S ROCKING HORSE: ADJUSTABLE, WITH WHEELS

1890S G&J LINES ROCKING HORSE

1895 CHAMPION COASTER WAGON

1895 SEARS ROEBUCK & CO BOY’S VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE

1900 TRICYCLE PEDAL CAR

1900 PARIS MFG CO ‘POLICE PATROL’ WAGON

1900 JUVENILE TANDEM GIG CARRIAGE

1906 WILKINSON MFG CO IMPERIAL COASTER WAGON

1908 GLASSCOCK RACER LEVER ACTION HAND CAR

1908 FORD RUNABOUT PEDAL CAR

1909 KEYSTONE ‘NO 31′ TILLER & TREADLE GIRLS’ TRICYCLE

1910 WOOD BODIED PEDAL CAR

1920S AIRPLANE PEDAL CAR

1920S SKUDDER BALL BEARING CAR

1920S LINES BROS TRI-ANG TANDEM PEDAL CAR

1920S OVERLAND NEWS VENDORS’ COASTER WAGON

‘The Patriot & The Evening News’

1920S JUVENILE VELOCIPEDE BICYCLE

1926 DANDY DOBBIN HORSE TRICYCLE

1926 CCM PONY CYCLE (CANADIAN)

1927 GARTON ‘BADGER’ VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE WITH SIDECAR

1928 LINES BROS (TRI-ANG TOYS) GENERAL OMNIBUS NO 2

1928 LINES BROS LONDON TRANSPORT DOUBLE-DECK BUS (WOODEN BRICK BOX)

1929 ‘P.F’ PEDAL-OPERATED HORSE RIDING TOY

1930 LINES BROS (TRI-ANG) ‘FAIRYCYCLE’

 

1930 JUNIOR CARRIER TRICYCLE

1930 POODLE PULL-ALONG RIDING TOY

1930S ‘BSA THREE WHEELER’ PEDAL CAR

1930S ALUMINIUM HORSE TRICYCLE

1930S PONYCYCLE TRICYCLE

1930S WATSONIAN SIDECAR MODEL NO 7

1930S WATSONIAN PEDAL CAR

1930S SIDECAR CYCLE TRAILER

1930S TRIANG WALLS ICE CREAM CART

1930S TRIANG TOY DAIRY MILK FLOAT 

1930S BICYCLE WITH DRIVE LEVERS & ECCENTRIC REAR AXLE

1935 MICKEY MOUSE CLUB MOUSEKETEER WESTERN PRAIRIE WAGON

1935 FLEXIBLE FLYER AIRLINE RACER SLED

1930S POLAIRE LADY’S BICYCLE WITH FRONT SUSPENSION

1937 GARTON VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE (20″ WHEEL)

1939 LEEWAY TRIUMPH DOLOMITE PEDAL CAR

1939 MERCURY VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE (WORLD’S FAIR MODEL)

1939 WITTKOP WIPPROLLER SCOOTER

1946 JET MOBILE SCOOTER

(MADE FROM A WORLD WAR 2 PRACTICE BOMB)

1946 – 1953 BSA JUNIOR PARABIKE IN ARMY TRIM

1947 KAR-BIKE SINGLE TUBE QUADRICYCLE

1948 KAR-BIKE DOUBLE TUBE QUADRICYCLE

1949 CANTERPONY MECHANICAL HORSE TRICYCLE

1949 TEDDY TOY CHILDREN’S BICYCLE (RED)

 

1949 JERRY BOY IRISH MAIL TRICYCLE

1949 ABERDALE ‘GRESHAM FLYER’ TRICYCLE

1950 SCOOTER-BIKE

1950S GARTON TELEPHONE REPAIRMAN TRICYCLE

1950S MONTEILHET CARROSSIER CAROUSEL SCOOTER

1950S CHILD’S INVALID TRICYCLE WITH HAND CONTROLS

1950S MOBO PONY BUGGY & PIONEER WAGON

1950S TRIANG JUNIOR TANDEM TRICYCLE

1950S TRIANG JUVENILE CARRIER TRICYCLE

1950S TRIANG ‘TOY DAIRY’ MILK FLOAT No 5

1950S TRIANG BAKER’S BARROW

1950S CYCLO-RAMEUR ‘ETOILE’

1952 HETTRICK ‘AMERICAN’ PEDAL WAGON (20″ WHEEL)

1952 HETTRICK ‘AMERICAN’ PEDAL WAGON (12″ WHEEL)

1952 ROLLFAST HOPALONG CASSIDY BOY’S BICYCLE

1953 GARTON KIDILLAC ‘FIRE CHIEF’ PEDAL CAR

1954 TRI-ANG TRI-ETTA PEDAL SCOOTER

1955 RALEIGH WINKIE TRICYCLE

1950S TRIANG JUNIOR TRICYCLE (WITH BOOT)

1955 WALT DISNEY OFFICIAL DAVY CROCKETT PIONEER PEDAL WAGON

1956 MURRAY GOOD HUMOR ICE CREAM TRUCK

1960 WHEELMASTER ROLLER COASTER

1960 MOBO TOT CYCLE

1960 MOBO SCOOT-A-BIKE PEDAL SCOOTER

1960S SATELLITE JUMPING SHOES

1960S TRIANG NODDY PEDAL CAR

1960S GARTON SONDA TRAFFIC PATROL SCOOTER

1963 EVANS POLICE JET PATROL TRIKE

1963 MOTOCONFORT GIRLS’ BICYCLE (DUPLEX FRAME)

1966 TRIANG BLUEBIRD PEDAL BOAT

1960S TRIANG UNITED DAIRIES MILK FLOAT 

1966 TRI-ANG ‘JUNIOR 1970’ MOULTON MINI

1970S TRI-ANG ‘JUNIOR 1980’ MOULTON MINI

1973 SILLY-CYCLE

 

1970S CHILDREN’S WHEELCHAIR

1980 OLD ENGLAND PENNY FARTHING 1880

The final item is not a pedal car, but a very rare invalid carriage from World War One…

1915 CARTER ‘TROUVILLE’ INVALID CARRIAGE