Recommended for ages 6 and under with a grown-up’s assistance.
All aboard! Train lovers and toy enthusiasts big and small are invited to use this guide to go on an I Spy hunt. Head to the Geduld Family Rotunda by our 77th St. entrance (near Parliament Coffee Bar) to start your I Spy adventure. On your mark…get set…explore!
Take a stroll around the entire case. What is the most biggest object you see on display inside? How about the smallest? Point it out to your grown-up!
I spy with my little eye…a Ferris wheel! Can you find it?
Did you know that by 1900 Ferris wheels were popular rides, and inspired the creation of many steam driven and wind up toys? The Ferris wheel you see here can be attached to a steam engine, or even operated by hand!
I spy with my little eye…a medical train car! Can you find it?
This medical car can be identified by the red cross. Can you spot it?
This toy train features a detailed interior and had accompanying accessories, like stretchers for wounded toy soldiers. Kids would lift off the roof to get items in and out of the train car.
I spy with my little eye…a mine shaft elevator! Can you find it?
Standing at nearly two feet tall, this toy elevator was the tallest toy coal mine elevator ever produced by the toymaker Gebrüder Bing. It shuttled miners and their loads of coal up and down, and could even make stops along the way!
I spy with my little eye…a post office sign! Can you find it?
What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever gotten in the mail? Share with your grown-up.
I spy with my little eye…a locomotive! Can you find it?
This toy train was powered by a real working steam engine. While exciting for kids, it was also risky! The boiling water needed to create the steam was a a burning hazard for people playing with the trains.
I spy with my little eye…a train station! Can you find it?
Grand and ornate, Märklin’s station features Gilded Age luxuries like an observation balcony and water garden to entertain waiting passengers. This toy station is the only one known with a working water fountain!
I spy with my little eye…an airplane! Can you find it?
If you’re having trouble finding this one, make sure to look in all parts of the case!
I spy with my little eye…suitcases! Can you find them?
You’ll find a few of these in the case – start by looking for train stations, and then you can find the suitcases nearby!
Congratulations, you did it! You’ve completed our I Spy Family Guide.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Exhibitions at New-York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Seymour Neuman Endowed Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.
Leave a Reply