me that was endorsed by Foster Hewitt, or the Gene Autry cap guns, or the wooden wagon with the label Western Flyer written in white letters on a red background. Instead I spent my time poring over the miniature farm set illustrated in bright colours on the top of one page half way through the toy section. As I remember it, there was a bright red barn overlooking a white farm fence Inside the fence were pigs, both black and cream, heavy round sows and lots of baby pigs. There were also white sheep with short legs and heavy coats, some looking straight ahead but others bending over eating imaginary grass. There were several black and white Holstein cows, and one brown Jersey cow. And, of course, there were several long-legged prancing horses with flying manes and tails. They looked more like the wild horses that roamed the prairies than the heavy farm horses I knew. There was a farmer wearing clothes that made me think he came from somewhere else, maybe England, and a milkmaid in long skirts carrying pails. I know that I didn't recognize it at the time, but I now realize that the Eaton's catalogue -- like Santa Claus who flew through the night in his sleigh pulled by reindeer excited the imagination and allowed us to explore a world that existed only in our minds.
Tuesday 16 December 2008
The Farm Set in Eaton's Catalogue
For many children of the late 1940's the Eaton's catalogue was a vehicle to dreams, especially the Christmas catalogue which arrived at our house midway through the fall. While we four children fully recognized that for Christmas we would get primarily practical gifts -- books from our parents, flannelette pyjamas from Grandma McEwan, and heavy woollen socks, hand-knit by Aunt Allie -- the Eaton's catalogue offered pages of toys just waiting to be purchased. I didn't spend much time looking at the hockey ga
me that was endorsed by Foster Hewitt, or the Gene Autry cap guns, or the wooden wagon with the label Western Flyer written in white letters on a red background. Instead I spent my time poring over the miniature farm set illustrated in bright colours on the top of one page half way through the toy section. As I remember it, there was a bright red barn overlooking a white farm fence Inside the fence were pigs, both black and cream, heavy round sows and lots of baby pigs. There were also white sheep with short legs and heavy coats, some looking straight ahead but others bending over eating imaginary grass. There were several black and white Holstein cows, and one brown Jersey cow. And, of course, there were several long-legged prancing horses with flying manes and tails. They looked more like the wild horses that roamed the prairies than the heavy farm horses I knew. There was a farmer wearing clothes that made me think he came from somewhere else, maybe England, and a milkmaid in long skirts carrying pails. I know that I didn't recognize it at the time, but I now realize that the Eaton's catalogue -- like Santa Claus who flew through the night in his sleigh pulled by reindeer excited the imagination and allowed us to explore a world that existed only in our minds.
me that was endorsed by Foster Hewitt, or the Gene Autry cap guns, or the wooden wagon with the label Western Flyer written in white letters on a red background. Instead I spent my time poring over the miniature farm set illustrated in bright colours on the top of one page half way through the toy section. As I remember it, there was a bright red barn overlooking a white farm fence Inside the fence were pigs, both black and cream, heavy round sows and lots of baby pigs. There were also white sheep with short legs and heavy coats, some looking straight ahead but others bending over eating imaginary grass. There were several black and white Holstein cows, and one brown Jersey cow. And, of course, there were several long-legged prancing horses with flying manes and tails. They looked more like the wild horses that roamed the prairies than the heavy farm horses I knew. There was a farmer wearing clothes that made me think he came from somewhere else, maybe England, and a milkmaid in long skirts carrying pails. I know that I didn't recognize it at the time, but I now realize that the Eaton's catalogue -- like Santa Claus who flew through the night in his sleigh pulled by reindeer excited the imagination and allowed us to explore a world that existed only in our minds.
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