Vintage lithographed Easter toy, NN Hill Brass Co (c 1943)
Offering a vintage pull toy from the "N.N. Hill Brass Company" in East Hampton, CT.
In 1889 Norman N. Hill opened his own company designed to manufacture steel bells in a new way. His approach must have made sense because by 1912, "N.N. Hill Brass Company" was the largest bell & toy factory in the world. In the '30's, the company was awarded a contract to produce wooden toys for Disney and the rest, as they say, is history.
This particular pull toy was one of the "Rabbit Cart" series and was released in 1943 for Easter. The brightly colored rabbit is cut out of wood & features a set of rollers and a two-sided, glued-on paper rabbit design. The makers' mark is readable on both sides. The rabbit is pulling a red wooden cart with wheels that are also covered on all four sides with a charming paper featuring cartoonish bunnies & birds. There is random discoloration to the paper (as can be seen in the photos) and splits on the bottom of the card both of which, I assume, is related to its advanced age.
This is a relatively large toy (14" long x 12" high x 7" wide) so there was lots of room for candy in the bunny's cart.
According to the research I've done, the N.N. Hill Brass Co. closed its doors in the early 1960s, making their wooden toys that have survived a favorite of American toy collectors. I'm not a toy expert but would consider this to be in "good" condition...which in layman's terms translates to "played with but still sturdy".
This is a fun piece of vintage Americana that would be a nice addition to a toy collection.
- Vintage Easter rabbit pull toy
- Mfg. by the NN Hill Brass Co.
- Lithographed rabbit pulling a red wooden wagon
- Dated 1943
CONDITION:
Good vintage condition. Random discoloration to the paper (as can be seen in the photos) and splits on the bottom of the card both of which, I assume, are related to its advanced age. Played with but still sturdy.
SPECIFICS:
Material: Wood & paper
Measures: 14" long x 12" high x 7" wide
