Introduced in 1913 by A.C. Gilbert, Erector sets allowed children to build working models of everything from bridges to locomotives using metal beams, gears, and motors. Dubbed “the toy that builds ...

Introduced nearly a century ago, the Erector set was the new toy for a new age. Initially packed in sturdy red wooden boxes, Erector sets included tools, equipment (screws, nuts and bolts and steel ...

THE MAN WHO CHANGED HOW BOYS AND TOYS WERE MADE By Bruce Watson Viking. 216 pp. $24.95 The title of Bruce Watson's strange little biography of Alfred C. Gilbert may seem hyperbolic, but it is entirely ...

Christmas of 1918 was just months away, and the United States — immersed in the war effort — was considering calling off Santa. Perhaps parents should invest in Liberty bonds rather than in toys, the ...

All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Thirty plus years ...

A.C. Gilbert is a legend in these parts, born and raised in Salem, where he developed a passion for competition and innovation and launched his first business enterprise. He is most famous for winning ...