Mechanical toy

In 1865, the Parisian company Roullet & Decamps began making mechanical dolls such as this swimmer. The metal wind-up key on the doll's stomach propels her wooden arms and legs as if she were truly swimming. The doll possesses a bisque face, a wig of human hair, and wears her original costume.

Movement is an intrinsic part of a child's play, but the type of movement changes depending on the toy. While many toys require a child's active participation, some, such as this swimmer, use internal mechanisms to produce their own motion. From 1850 to 1914, French and German doll makers produced large quantities of these automata. They designed simple moving toys for children, many of which looked like children themselves. They pulled along baby carriages, stroked animals, played at tea parties, or depicted characters from famous fairy tales. Others walked, talked, and blew kisses. More sophisticated toys, some of which wore designer gowns made of the finest French silks and waved delicately painted fans, appealed to adults. Mass production of these mechanical dolls halted at the beginning of World War I.