A. C. Gilbert, Scientific Toymaker

Eli Whitney Museum

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In 1996, the Eli Whitney Museum and the University of New Haven organized the A. C. Gilbert Symposium. The articles presented in that symposium are available below.

Foreword

Advertisement for Gilbert Scientific Toys

David E. E. Sloane introduces the A. C. Gilbert Symposium from Essays in Arts in Sciences, Volume 25.

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The Gilbert Epoch

Gilbert and his secretary answering letters.

An introduction to A. C. Gilbert.

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Chronology

A. C. Gilbert, Olympic Polevaulter, Police Gazzette, July 18, 1908

An A. C. Gilbert Chronology.

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Gilbert Illustrated

A four-color ad for American Flyer which promotes the famous Gilbert Hall of Science, the giant New York City showroom of Gilbert toys with elaborate train layouts which the public could view.

Gilbert's talent for marketing is evident even from the very early days of Erector.

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Sewell's Pump

Photograph of a heart pump for by-passing the right heart of dogs, part of a thesis presented to the School of Medicine, Yale University, 1950 by William H. Sewell, Jr., M.D.

The story of Bill Sewell, who built the first artificial heart pump from pieces of a child's Erector set, laboratory odds and ends, and dime store goods.

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The Uses of Real Estate

Erector Playground Chute

Each of Gilbert's properties had a slightly different role in augmenting his business, personal, and community life, and all give insight into American town planning between 1920 and 1960.

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The Man and the Manager

Gilbert the manager

A. C. Gilbert built the largest toy company in the world, and he did it for the satisfaction of competition and to accomplish his goal more than he did it for money.

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The Demise of The A. C. Gilbert Company

The Gilbert Hall of Science

How is it that a company with an inventive leader, whose first year of business produced less than ten thousand dollars and by 1953 was doing $20 million, went out of business?

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