Holiday party
UPPER ARLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, 2800 TREMONT ROAD
614-486-9621, www.ualibrary.org Make a “snowflake” and test your knowledge of elf trivia before a screening of the movie “Elf.” 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, with the movie starting at 7 free; registration preferred
Your kids may play XBox, but maybe you grew up with a jack-in-the-box.
If you remember a time when entertainment was simpler, the Center will offer you a rare opportunity to see its collection of antique toys made by the Ohio Art Company of Bryan, in northwestern Ohio.
From miniature cars to Etch-a-Sketches, about 50 classic toys from the 1930s through the 1980s that are typically in storage will be on display. A staff member will provide background information.
The event is part of the museum’s “Unwrapping Our Collection” series, which allows the public to take an up-close look at artifacts that are usually behind glass or in storage.
Throughout December, the museum has brought out items ranging from World War I battle flags to 19thcentury ceramics.
“This is Ohio’s collection,” said Emmy Beach, public relations manager for the Ohio History Connection, which operates the center. “It’s not something we want to keep under lock and key.”
The holiday season seemed like the opportune time to present the collection, Beach said, both for adults to take a trip down memory lane and for youngsters to see what toys were popular decades ago.
“It’s a wonderful way for
grandparents, parents and kids to get to share memories about these toy collections,” Beach said. “Getting to have those shared experiences and to tell those stories and inspire people to remember important moments from their childhood is really wonderful to see.”
’50s holiday
Back in the day, youngsters had to gather around a television (or even a radio) on Christmas Eve to follow Santa’s progress.
Now? There’s an app for that.
The radar tracker has come a long way since the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) began the annual watch in 1955, when, according to NORAD, a department store ran an ad with a telephone number for children to call Santa Claus. But a child misdialed the number and called the operations center of the Continental Air Defense Command, the forerunner to NORAD.
Audiences can learn about Christmas traditions with origins in the postwar era during a “Nifty Fifties Christmas,” a special performance that is part of the Connection’s Echoes in Time Theater series.
The weekly one-person shows began 12 years ago as an interactive way to teach history, said Mike Follin, coordinator of interpretive services.
In this show, actor Chuck Malone will take on the role of Airman First Class Henry Carlson, and audience members are his recruits.
As Carlson, Malone will explain the recruits’ duties, which include watching for Russian planes and missiles, and also for Kris Kringle.
After the half-hour show, guests will be invited to ask questions or share their own Christmas experiences.
“One of the things we want to do,” Follin said, “is spark memories that are then shared as a group.”