Golden age of the automobile lives on in miniature
In 1945, a Japanese toy designer took a discarded tin can and hammered it into the shape of a U.S. Army jeep. Just inches in length, crudely hand painted and powered by nothing more than an elastic band, Matsuzō Kosuge’s jeep spawned a huge new automotive industry, in miniature. In 2009 we celebrate that industry.
From July 9 to August 16, the Japan Society Gallery (333 East 47th St, NYC) will be featuring tin-toy vehicles manufactured in Japan following World War II.
Pristine tin-toy vehicles are incorporated from a previously unknown collection of Yoku Tanaka who first began collecting Japanese manufactured toy models as a teenager in 1961.
The 70 tin-toy vehicles on view range from small, rudimentary examples made in the fledgling phase of Japan’s postwar toy industry to later, elaborate models made for the high-end American market. The latter often sport a combination of battery-powered lights, electric (as opposed to friction or clockwork) motors, remote controls, chrome trim, and retractable parts.
“Replicating the automotive styling of Detroit’s ‘golden age’ down to the tiniest fin, these pint-sized vehicles helped repurpose Japan’s manufacturing sector from munitions to peacetime production,” says gallery curator Joe Earle. “They also salved a pent-up thirst for glamour and beauty in the then impoverished country, as well as in the newly affluent United States.”
About Japan Society Gallery
Japan Society Gallery is among the premier institutions in the U.S. for the exhibition of Japanese art. The Gallery’s exhibitions since 1971 have covered topics as diverse as classical Buddhist sculpture and calligraphy, contemporary photography and ceramics, samurai swords, export porcelain, and masterpieces of painting from the thirteenth to the twentieth century.
About Japan Society
Founded in 1907 by NYC businessmen and philanthropists, Japan Society has evolved into an internationally recognized nonprofit organization presenting a full range of programs in arts and culture, business, education, and public policy.
Through over 100 events annually, Japan Society creates rich encounters and exchanges that offer opportunities to experience Japanese culture; foster sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the United States, Japan, and East Asia; and improve access to information on Japan.
Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second Avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and V subway at Lexington Avenue). The public may call 212-832-1155 or visit www.japansociety.org for more information.
Japan Society Gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am-5:00 pm; the Gallery is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $5/$3 students and seniors/FREE Japan Society members and children under 16.
See Also:
www.japansociety.org
