Boat:Ocean Liner

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Americans and Europeans built huge steam-powered, ocean-going vessels. Manufacturers used these massive ships to transport their goods all over the world, the opulent ocean liners attracted the wealthy, and nations built powerful dreadnoughts for protection. At the same time, toy manufacturers produced replicas of these vessels for children's play. Made of metal and powered by clockworks and spring-wound mechanisms to propel them through water, these toys embodied children's fascination with things that move and things that reflect the mechanized world. The glory days of toy boats range from about the 1850s to the 1950s, representing the time before automobiles and airplanes became more popular modes of transportation.