To Protect and Serve

August 23, 2015

With the Great Depression of the 1930s came a new era of children’s play. Children invented their own games and imaginative worlds, which were sometimes based on radio, film, cartoons or comic book characters. Young boys began to play cops and robbers using toys like these from T/m’s collection.

The owner of the policeman’s billy club recalled going to the movies and reasoned that receiving the gift may have been related to a popular movie at the time. Although a billy club may seem like an odd gift to give a small boy today, the owner reassured T/m staff that, “we were all good policemen.” He also noted that the shrill noise of the whistle would stop any bad guys in their tracks!