Gundka - German Lithographed Toys

Monday, May 6, 2013

Gundka

(Later G & K) 

   I'm writing this post on Sunday May 5, and then I'm off to cycle. This is my second post of the day, after having woken much too early today (Sunday). For sure, I will not eat  any more frozen yogurt, ice cream, or  any sugary "snack" late at night! Sugar  just messes with you while you sleep,and I always awaken very after dreaming  - ugh!

   Ifr you do a search for Gundka, you will inevitably come up with the later company name of 

G & K, representing the names of Grepert & Kelch. I'm going to temporarily just add the translation from Google for the history of the company, and in the future, I'll add the proper history.

   The translation of course is not 100%. However, what the Internet, the computer, and modern computer programming has done to date could not have even been imagined 40 years ago. In another 40 years, what we see now will be "history", to be written about by bloggers in terms of what very "crude" translation was all about "way back then! However, if this was the only source of the history of  G & K, I could do more Internet searches to improve this!

I started off with the above image of a child rider in a cart with an ostrich. People actually have hitched ostrich to carts and rode with them. However, the detail in this G & K is simply amazing.

Just look at how the ostrich feathers and the legs were painstakenly cut out from the tin(from a giant cutter press). I'm sure though that young children were simply amazed at the idea, even when they might havew gone to a zoo and seen a "real" ostrich!

 You can see how gears are exposed on this  G & K toy. Other manufacturers would usually try and hide the wind-up mechanics. However, I personally like to see the gears. As a child, I'm sure some kids would have watched the movement and been fascinated by that!

The above (red/blue) is another variation of the lime green/lemon yellow racer above this one. I like the bold yellow/green theme better.

Ouch!

For sure, I over-saturated the colours in Photoshop!

Redo!

I am speechless over the design of this toy.I like the desin of the axle rods supporting the frame and wheels, the rider compartment, and the curved handlebars and rider.

Beautiful, simply beautiful!

If you've read many of my posts, you'll know that I like the earlier toys from the early 1900's - 1930's. There weren't as many items (cars,  trucks, etc) to make toys from, so manufacturers all would have made similar toys based on what was around - e.g. the American Taxi, a limousine, and so forth.

What I admire from that era is that more thought and imagination needed to be invalided at that point in time to come up with the final outcome and interpretation of the toy.  In the example above, the design from an aesthetic and geometric point of view is super! Of course, being a photographer, I have my "favourites"

The angled back of the  limousine with the round cutout, the angle and bend of the  door, the contrast of the round with the straight lines,the stripes on the chauffeur's jacket arm, and so forth, just make this particular toy "stand out. 

Outstanding again!

There's just so much detail to see in this toy. But that "micro" steering wheel makes this toy what it is. And to have have lasted intact for almost 100 years, illustrates what the  toy designers and designers of the Gundka  / G & K / Grepert and Kelch were capable  of doing all those years ago.

If I might offer you an analogy,  it might explain what I was trying to say about this company. I still remember waiting up all night for the first moon landing on July 20, 1969 - I was 21 at the time. I'm sure anyone my age , slightly older or younger remember the words "The Eagle has Landed".  Since then, there have been uncountable numbers of breakthroughs in all areas of science, inventions, literature and so forth. But that landing way back , and nearing 50 years to me, is one of my most memorable events. It has stayed with me all those years, and whenever I look up at the moon I remember that moment,and always will.

As for these particular toys - they just don't get any better than that! As for the bike-ride, I'm off right now.  It's my 4th time out this season, and so I'm a bit "rusty", just like dome "older toys",but they still work!

Thanks for dropping by, 

and as always have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be.

Stacey