 The New York Historical Society has more toys than you could ever fit under a Christmas tree. It's Journey Collection, which consists of over 11,000 toys from 1840 to 1960. But why do these toys belong in a museum? We met with Mike Thornton, its curator, to learn why toys are sometimes more than just toys. If you want to academically understand this collection, you know, yes they're toys, but if you're really looking at toys, you're looking at, I mean, toys are made by adults for children, and so therefore they reflect adult values of the times that they were made. And this was a steam-powered industrial world that the adults were working and living in and that their children were going to grow up in. And so in many ways, toys are about preparing kids to be adults. And so trains were a great way to teach the lessons of industry and steam power. And that's how the fascination sort of started. I want to ask about getting kids into the idea of like a museum culture. And it seems like your museum has done a lot of that. It is a vital part of our mission. When I come in and I see kids, you know, their little hands on the glass, just in awe. I just feel like we're planting the seeds to make future. You know, it's not necessary that they all grow up and become curators or historians, but that they grow up, you know, and that they're fascinated, that there is this interest in the past. Kids need to understand the past to be active citizens, you know. And what better way than to create inroads through playthings. So, this holiday, take a moment to consider any toys you purchase for loved ones. Think that they may one day be sitting on a pristine display under the scrutiny of school kids from the year 2100. These toys, a curator might say, were made during the Internet Age, decades before the Holodeck Wars of 2062.
 The New York Historical Society has more toys than you could ever fit under a Christmas tree.
 It's Journey Collection, which consists of over 11,000 toys from 1840 to 1960.
 But why do these toys belong in a museum?
 We met with Mike Thornton, its curator, to learn why toys are sometimes more than just toys.
 If you want to academically understand this collection, you know, yes they're toys,
 but if you're really looking at toys, you're looking at, I mean, toys are made by adults for children,
 and so therefore they reflect adult values of the times that they were made.
 And this was a steam-powered industrial world that the adults were working and living in
 and that their children were going to grow up in.
 And so in many ways, toys are about preparing kids to be adults.
 And so trains were a great way to teach the lessons of industry and steam power.
 And that's how the fascination sort of started.
 I want to ask about getting kids into the idea of like a museum culture.
 And it seems like your museum has done a lot of that.
 It is a vital part of our mission.
 When I come in and I see kids, you know, their little hands on the glass, just in awe.
 I just feel like we're planting the seeds to make future.
 You know, it's not necessary that they all grow up and become curators or historians,
 but that they grow up, you know, and that they're fascinated, that there is this interest in the past.
 Kids need to understand the past to be active citizens, you know.
 And what better way than to create inroads through playthings.
 So, this holiday, take a moment to consider any toys you purchase for loved ones.
 Think that they may one day be sitting on a pristine display under the scrutiny of school kids from the year 2100.
 These toys, a curator might say, were made during the Internet Age, decades before the Holodeck Wars of 2062.