1940.12.24 “Everything for the Child”
by Mischa Richter (1910-2001)
8 x 17 in., ink and wash on paper
Coppola Collection
Mischa Richter (1910-2001) was a well-known New Yorker, King Features, and PM newspaper cartoonist who worked for the Communist Party’s literary journal “New Masses” in the late 1930 and early 1940s, becoming its art editor in the 1940s.
Christmas 1940 in the US saw patriotic themes in toys, with manufacturers showcasing military models like tanks, planes, and battleships, reflecting national defense trends, though some retailers tried to downplay overt militarism due to parental concerns, while also introducing non-metal toys and emphasizing patriotism and American values amidst rising global conflict.
Toy companies heavily featured miniature versions of real military equipment, including battleships, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, and airplanes, as seen in preview shows for Christmas 1940. These toys directly mirrored the growing national focus on defense, making them popular with boys who wanted "genuine toys" like air rifles, as noted by toy industry figures like A.C. Gilbert.
Some stores tried to balance patriotic demand with parental preference, keeping overtly military toys in the background and promoting construction sets and trains instead, believing some parents disliked the trend toward miniature implements of war.
President Roosevelt's December 1940 fireside chat emphasized getting weapons to allies quickly to "save us and our children the agony and suffering of war," influencing the national mood.
Christmas 1940 was a transition, where military-themed toys were prominent but alongside efforts to maintain traditional fun, often with a patriotic twist, and a shift towards resource-friendly, non-metal options.
