This battery-operated space-themed toy tank is a tin toy that was manufactured in China, most likely in the 1960s, for export. This toy illustrates how toy makers tapped into the contemporary fascination for space exploration by added a space theme to a toy even if the basic form of the toy was not space-related. Except for the label "Space Tank" and a few small rockets lithographed onto the sides of the metal toy, there is nothing inherently space-y about this toy tank. This toy would have been created to compete in a tin toy marketplace that by the late 1950s had come to be dominated by creatively-designed, complex Japanese tin toys with moving parts and/lights.
The Museum accessioned this toy into its collection in 2001.
Display Status
This object is on display in James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Object Details
Country of Origin
China
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Dimensions
3-D: 25.4 x 14 x 12.7cm (10 x 5 1/2 x 5 in.)
Materials
Overall, aluminum; tires, rubber
Inventory Number
A20010629000
Credit Line
Found in collection. Donor unknown at this time. Found on NASM premises.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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