Antique Toys: Rolling Hoop
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Hoop rolling, also called trundling a hoop has been a favorite outdoor activity for children for centuries. Hoops were shown in an engraving for Jacob Cats's poem Kinderspel as early as 1628 and were frequently included in illustrations of children's activities and games in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Early hoops were of metal; in the 1800s, handmade wood hoops were all the rage as a favorite plaything. The child's hoop was propelled by stroking a one foot dowel or stick along the top. The 20th century hula-hoop is a modern day version of this treasured plaything. |
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Many 19th century portraits and photographs include a hoop along side the posed child as seen in the painting "Girl with a Hoop (Marie Goujon)" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), 1885. |
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Fannie Virginia Casseopia Lawrence, a redeemed slave child, 5 years of age, c1863. [Image credit: Library of Congress] |
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Hoop trundling was a pastime mostly played by boys under twelve years of age. There was a genuine and healthy excitement to be had from a good hoop race, success in which demanded nimbleness of foot, lightness of touch, and dexterity in management. To trundle a hoop with the aid of a stick required little instruction or practice, but the use of the hook was not so simple. |
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In the 1900s, it was not unusual to see young boys rolling hoops through city streets – causing havoc to the horse and buggy traffic. This photograph features young boys playing with hoops in 1922. [Silver-gelatin print. 16.3 x 18.4 cm. TPL (TRL) Acc. X65-189. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library]
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