-Boy on Trapeze- mechanical bank c. 1888

This mechanical bank, featuring a boy on a trapeze, was made by the J. Barton Smith Company from cast iron. Cast iron was the perfect material for this sort of novelty. It allowed for relatively intricate forms to be made using molds, capturing all the details, from the boy’s cheerful expression to the filigree on the base. Though the forms could be complex, the process was straightforward, and thus relatively inexpensive. Banks like these speak volumes about nineteenth-century industrial America. They reflect the rise of mass production, but also anxieties about labor. By placing a coin in the slot, you set the mechanism in motion and the boy kicks the ball, sending the coin into the bank. This bank becomes an early example of automation, turning the spectacle of child labor into a form of entertainment. The contrast between the whimsy of the design and the harsh realities of industrial life make this an object of both delight and reflection.