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Alfred Carlton Gilbert (1884 – 1961) was an important twentieth-century inventor devoted to creating learning toys for children. He is best known today for the Erector Set. His company was based in New Haven.
The Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop collects materials related to Gilbert, whose spirit of experimental learning is carried on in the workshop’s programs today. Much like children in the 1920s playing with Erector Sets, EWMW program participants learn to assemble components into machines, while EWMW apprentices learn more advanced building and engineering skills, from project planning and basic construction to the use of power saws, routers, and CNC (computer numerical control) cutting machines.
A major project documented the museum’s extensive Gilbert Collection, which includes many examples of A.C. Gilbert Company toys as well as printed materials like catalogues and instruction manuals.
Visitors can view displays of the toys in the museum’s main galleries, as well as occasional special exhibitions of Gilbert materials.
From Thanksgiving to late January, visitors can also experience the A.C. Gilbert Train Display, a beloved annual tradition. As well as viewing a four-track model with Gilbert American Flyer trains, visitors can also run one of the train lines themselves.
The museum is also happy to assist with further research into the A.C. Gilbert Company. Contact us!