Sixties City - Sixties City - Leisure Designs and Toys

Sixties City - Leisure Designs, Toys and General Household Consumer Items

Steel Coca Cola Can and Mary Quant Lipstick Radio

Stop what you're doing for a moment and take a look around you - the chairs, tables, lamps, toys - anything that catches your eye. Can you remember the kind of things that surrounded you in the Sixties - do you remember Space Hoppers? Telephones with finger holes? World Cup Willie? Seemingly indestructible cans of Coca Cola that had to be opened with a pointy metal thing? What happened to them - and where will all the stuff that you can see right now be in another 40 years time? Mostly long gone into the bin, I imagine. The same thing happens all the time, particularly with cheap, disposable bric-a-brac. Then, one day, you'll see the items again - this time for sale at incredible prices and you'll think to yourself 'I used to have one of them....wonder what happened to it? Wish I'd kept it now'. Not that I'm suggesting you harbour junk just for the sake of it...

Me? I'm no different - I used to have a lot of the things in these pictures so it's a personal trip down memory lane. I remember seeing a lot of this stuff during my childhood and even have a few odd pieces that somehow survived. Not so much a page, more of an old shopping catalogue - there's no particular order to this section of Sixties City, just a few memories of my own and some pictures of interesting bygones - fifties or sixties 'icons', with a little information for those who are interested.

Holiday Camps Newspapers & Magazines Children's Comics Advertising Shops and Retailing Printed Media Images Music & Pop Publications Consumer Protection Green Shield & Trading Stamps

Furniture and Lighting (Click on any image for a larger, better quality picture where available)

'Blow' inflatable chair made by Zanotta c.1967	'Superonda' settee by Archizoom c.1967	DIY string pictures were popular as a decorative craft in the late 1960s through kits and books	Eero Arnio 'ball' chair as seen in 'The Prisoner' and 'The Italian Job' Made by ASKO c.1965
Inflatable furniture Quasar Khanh	Make-it-yourself plastic lampshades 'Turbo' 1965 by Louis Weisdorf	BIBA coffee table c.1969	'Eclisse' lamp - with an inner rotatable shade to simulate lunar phases. Vico Magistretti for Artemide, 1967
Wicker hanging chair c.1968	'Tomoton' compressed paper chair Bernard Holdaway c.1966	The Mathmos Astro lamp has been in continuous production in England since its invention in 1963	. . . and its cheaper, less impressive cousin, the glitter lamp . .
'Viscontea' cocoon lamp on wire frame. Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, Italy, 1960	Elio Martinelli 'Bolla' bubble lamp could be wall or table mounted. Manufactured by Martinelli Luce, Italy, 1965	Verner Panton stacking chairs c.1968	. . . and cheaper still, the Shattaline resin lamp

Toys and Books (Click on any image for a larger, better quality picture where available)

First produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd in July 1956 as competition to Meccano's Dinky Toys, February 1960 saw the die-cast toys featuring elements such as boots that opened to reveal luggage, bonnets that housed finely-detailed engines and removable plastic tops for convertible models like the Jaguar E-type. Battery-powered front and rear lights were also introduced during this period. In 1964 Corgi moved into the adult collector market with a range of highly detailed models of vintage cars called 'Corgi Classics'.

Dinky Toys were die-cast miniature vehicles produced by Meccano Ltd who were also makers of Hornby Railways. They were originally model railway accessories called 'Modelled Miniatures' and were called 'Dinky Toys' for the first time in April 1934. In November 1958, Meccano introduced the Dublo Dinky range of models in 1:78 (OO) scale. There were a total 15 Dublo models which were phased out in 1968 and replaced by Mini-Dinky Toys, a second range of small scale models larger than the Matchbox range at 1:65. Arguably, Dinky's most famous tie-ins were with the various Gerry Anderson TV series vehicles.

Corgi produced many cars based on vehicles used in films and television shows such as the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 and Toyota 2000GT, The Saint's Volvo P1800, Batman's Batmobile (with Batboat in 1967), the Daktari Gift Set (Land Rover), The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 'THRUSH-Buster', The Avengers Bentley and Lotus Elan, The 'Monkeemobile', The 'Yellow Submarine', The Green Hornet's 'Black Beauty and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the last of which has become one of the most-desired Corgi collectibles. There was also a 'comic' vehicle range in 1969.

Lesney Products(now owned by Mattel) introduced the 'Matchbox' range in 1953. The range of models changed regularly but its basic line always contained 75 cars. New cars were introduced and less popular ones were put out to grass but the “Matchbox 75” remained a constant of the toy world. By 1968, Matchbox was the biggest-selling brand of small diecast model cars worldwide. The average model featured plastic windows, interiors, tyres (often with separate disc wheels), and other accessories, spring suspension and opening parts. Some even featured steering, including the pressure-based AutoSteer system introduced in 1969.

Mettoy (Corgi) also developed a smaller pocket-sized range known as Husky cars in 1964 (later renamed Corgi Junior). The success of these led to the creation of Rockets, special small cars with fast wheels designed especially for racetracks. In 1965 Corgi started marketing licensed toys, the first of which was the Aston Martin DB5 from the James Bond movies. Like its big brother, the car featured a working ejector seat.

'Sindy - The Doll You Love To Dress' - 1962
First manufactured by Pedigree of Kent and bearing a striking resemblance to the American doll 'Tammy', she was launched with a then unprecedented advertising campaign. Sindy became an instant hit with 200,000 dolls sold by Christmas of that year. Now considered to be the British version of 'Barbie', she was joined by a little sister called 'Patch' and, in 1965, a boyfriend 'Paul'. In 1967 Paul bit the dust when she was joined by 'friends' Mitzi, Betsy, Vicki and Poppet.

Wham-O’s 'Super Ball', marketed in Summer 1965, was invented by chemist Norm Stingly. By combining compounds under extreme pressure and temperature he produced a material called ‘Zectron,’ which was able to retain a high degree of bounciness when dropped. The company sold some 20 million of these during the 1960s. Wham-O also introduced us to the Frisbee, the Hula Hoop, Slip 'N Slide, Trac-Ball, Silly String and the Boogie Board.

Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel Toys, unveiled 'Barbie', the teenage fashion model, at New York's annual Toy Fair in 1959. In the early Sixties she began wearing designer outfits such as Gay Parisienne modelled after Parisian haute couture fashions. As the 60s gave way to the "British Invasion", Barbie got a fashion makeover and her body style, hair, face and makeup changed as well. In addition to wearing mod fashions, Barbie's body acquired a new 'Twist 'N Turn' waist and a younger face with rooted eyelashes.

'Action Man' 12" posable figure by Palitoy Ltd, of Coalville, Leicester. Introduced January 1966, under licence from Hasbro, hence the similarity in facial appearance including the trademark scar and US-style uniforms, it had fierce competition from Pedigree's 'Tommy Gunn' (right, 66-68) which was actually shorter than Action Man and had a sun-tan! The Tommy Gun body moulds were subsequently used for the 'Captain Scarlet' action figures.

G.I. Joe owes its existence to Barbie. Toy creator Stan Weston thought that since Barbie was so popular, he could come up with a similar toy for boys: a line of Barbie-sized dolls with a military theme to be marketed for boys. In 1963 he took the concept to toy manufacturers Hassenfeld Brothers (who later shortened the name to Hasbro). It was initially offered as a sailor, soldier, airman and marine. In 1967, Hasbro expanded the line to include a series of talking figures. In the late Sixties the line became known as 'The Adventures of G.I. Joe' and, in 1970, Hasbro settled on the name 'Adventure Team'.

Minimodels introduced a range of metal bodied model racing cars in 1952 which contained a unique type of clockwork motor. The inventor of these was Mr B. Francis and the trade name was SCALEX. Minimodels was sold to the Lines Brothers 'Tri-ang' group in November 1958. In 1963, the four new cars launched made a total of 18 different cars, two motorcycle combinations, complete with Tri-ang's RX motor and accurately moulded plastic bodies. The variable speed hand throttle replaced the original controller and new track sections and buildings enabled reproductions of actual race tracks to be launched.

The mathematician Bruno Abakanowicz invented the 'spirograph' between 1881 and 1900. In 1965 Denys Fisher introduced children to geometry with a set of ridged and toothed plastic shapes called Spirograph. This amazing toy created intricate designs when a pen traced the path of a small shape as it rolled inside one of the bigger ones. It was awarded ‘Toy of the Year’ in '67, and was then acquired and marketed by Kenner. In 1968, Kenner introduced Spirotot, a less complex version of Spirograph, for preschool-age children.

Careers, devised by sociologist James Cooke Brown in the mid-1950s, was a board game where players could set their own victory conditions by choosing to pursue Fame, Happiness, Money, or a combination of all three, to reach a total of 60 points. The 'careers' available were updated over 60 years of revised editions, reflecting changes in social perceptions, for instance, the original careers offered in the game were Farming, Big Business, Out to Sea, Politics, Hollywood, Expedition to the Moon and Uranium Prospecting whereas one of the 1970s versions offered Big Business, Sports, Teaching, Politics, Arts, Space and Ecology.

Twister, invented by Reyn Guyer, was a large vinyl mat and a spin-board introduced to US TV viewers when Johnny Carson played it with Eva Gabor on his late night talk show in 1966. Players took turns spinning the plastic arrow around a small board with 4 quadrants: right leg, left leg, right arm, left arm. If your arrow landed on a blue spot in the 'right leg corner, you put your relevant body part on the blue spot that was the most physically possible for you to reach. The first player to collapse was the loser but since he usually brought all the others down with him, the winners didn’t have much opportunity to enjoy their success.

'Ker-Plunk' Ideal Games 1967	'Space Hopper' by Mettoy was available in blue or orange 1969	PlayPlax by Trendon Invented by Patrick Rylands 1966	'Trolls' - DAM Things - Denmark. Invented by Thomas Dam, 1964	Dr Who Bump & Go Dalek Louis Marx 1960s	Doctor Who and the Daleks Louis Marx smaller scale friction drive Dalek, 1965	'Avengers' Gift Set Corgi Toys 1965	'Tiny Tears' - Palitoy wet herself and cried with help from bottled water 1966
'Ker-Plunk' Ideal Games 1967	Gerry Anderson's Thunderbird 2 Dinky Toys 1967	The Batmobile DC Comics Corgi Toys c. 1966	Lady Penelope's FAB 1 Thunderbirds Dinky Toys 1967	'The Saint' Volvo P1800 Corgi Toys c. 1963	The Man From U.N.C.L.E. T.H.R.U.S.H.- Buster car and ring Corgi 1966	Monkeemobile Corgi 277 and Airfix model 1966	James Bond '007' cap gun with silencer Lone Star c.1963
Hot Wheels Mattel Toys 1968 11/16 castings designed by Harry Bentley Bradley	Hornby OO Trains 1938 Frank Hornby Bought by Tri-Ang in 1964	Airfix Saturn V and Lunar Landing Module Airfix 1969	Meccano first invented in 1898 by Frank Hornby Junior Meccano 1965	'Battling Tops' also ' Battling Spaceships' Ideal 1968	The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Agent's Badge Lone Star and Ideal 1965	The Beatles 'Yellow Submarine' Corgi 1969	The Man From UNCLE Die Cast Gun Lone Star 1968
		Airfix Saturn V and Lunar Landing Module Airfix 1969		'Battling Tops' also ' Battling Spaceships' Ideal 1968		The Beatles 'Yellow Submarine' Corgi 1969	The Man From UNCLE Die Cast Gun Lone Star 1968
Mighty Tonka Dump Truck Tonka Toys 1964	Operation MB Games invented by John Spinello 1965	Etch A Sketch (505) invented by André Cassagnes Ohio Art Company 1960	Game of Jacks traditional various	Tressy Doll 'Her hair grows' Palitoy 1964	Mr. Smash Clockwork Martian Robot Marx Toys c.1969-70	'Twiggy' Twist'n'Turn doll Mattel 1966	'Mouse Trap Game' Ideal Toy Company designed by Hank Kramer 1963

Miscellaneous Items (Click on any image for a larger, better quality picture where available)

'Keracolor' television Arthur Bracegirdle c.1968	'Mary Quant' novelty lipstick radio	The Weltron 2007 hi-fi table	World Cup 1966 World Cup Willie football memorabilia	Polaroid Instant Camera Swinger 20 1965	Vox AC30 Sound Amplifier 1963	'Beatles' Flask and lunch box 1965
'Homepride' 'Fred' flour graders Spillers 1965	Philips HK4100 hair dryer 1965	GPO Telephone Red 706 1965	Ty-Phoo Tea Football Team Cards 1964/65	VOX V846 Wah Wah Pedal February 1967	Dansette 'Conquest' Record Player 1962	Bush TR 82C Transistor Radio 1960
The 'Smiley' created 1963	Ouija Board Parker Brothers 1967	Double Diamond Beer Cans Ind Coope	Post Office Tower Souvenirs 1965	Dubreq Stylophone 1967	Carlight Continental Caravan 1964	Kodak 126 format Instamatic camera 1963
Dalek Badge Woolworths 1964-65	'Top Of The Pops' LPs Hallmark Records 1968 on	IBM Selectric Typeweriter 1961	Liquorice records Clevedon Confectionery c.1964	BEA Magazines August 1965	Sixties Sweets and Chocolate Various	PIFCO Red Dome Lantern 50s / 60s

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