Frisbie’s Toy Steam Engine: Museum Object and Cultural History
Frisbie’s Toy Steam Engine: date made: 1871. maker: Frisbie, Russel. Object Name: toy, steam engine and boiler.
The object in the museum catalogue
This toy steam engine was manufactured by the J. & E. Stevens Company of Cromwell, Connecticut during the late 19th and early 20th century. Russel Frisbie patented this steam engine model in 1872 when he was an employee of the J. & E. Stevens Company, and the company went on to produce the toy for many years. The toy consists of a three-legged kettle boiler, slide valve engine, walking beam, and flywheel.
Materials, dates and provenance
- date made: 1871
- maker: Frisbie, Russel
- Object Name: toy, steam engine and boiler
- Physical Description: cast iron (overall material)
- Measurements: overall: 8 1/4 in x 6 in x 5 in; 20.955 cm x 15.24 cm x 12.7 cm
- Measurements: flywheel - from catalog card: 2 1/4 in; x 5.715 cm
- Measurements: overall - from catalog card: 8 1/2 in; 21.59 cm
- place made: United States: Connecticut, Cromwell
- ID Number: MC.328979
- catalog number: 328979
- accession number: 278175
- Credit Line: Bequest of the Estate of Greville I. Bathe
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
Sources
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