Wikipedia defines "social history" as:

"an area of historical study considered by some to be a social science that attempts to view historical evidence from the point of view of developing social trends. In this view, it may include areas of economic history, legal history and the analysis of other aspects of civil society that show the evolution of social norms, behaviors and mores... Unlike other approaches, it tries to see itself as a synthetic form of history not limited to the statement of so-called historical fact but willing to analyse historical data in a more systematic manner."

Our project includes toys, which we believe help to highlight the personal daily lives of Detroiters of all ethnic, economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Our aim is to present the changes in Detroiters' lives over its three hundred year history and place those changes in context through toys.

Our collection encompasses over 5,000 objects. Strengths include mechanical toys, dolls, doll houses and their funishings, toy cars, wagons, bicycles, toy trains, and banks. Mechanical toys, which make up a substantial portion of our collection, are represented here in video segments.

We hope you find this collection both useful and entertaining!

For more information contact Jeff Trzeciak via email at ae5308[at]wayne[dot]edu

©2005 Wayne State University