Toy Bank: Frog 1935 - 1942

Editor: This is William O. Fletcher's "Toy Bank: Frog," created sometime between 1935 and 1942. It's a drawing, seemingly with mixed media, and shows two views of what appears to be a decorative frog. It feels very much of its time, a product of the Depression era perhaps? How do you interpret this work in the context of its time? Curator: That's an astute observation. Given the dating, we need to consider the socio-economic climate of the late Depression and the early years of World War II. Toy banks at this time weren’t just about children saving money; they reflected anxieties around economic security. Notice the careful detail of the drawing. Editor: Yes, the details in the rendering is beautiful and intricate. Almost industrial. Curator: Precisely. Fletcher’s detailed drawing could be seen as elevating the status of an everyday, mass-producible object to the level of fine art, speaking to the values assigned to commerce and consumerism but filtered through hand-crafted representation. This invites considering the function of art within these decades. Where does an image of a child's coin bank fit? Editor: It's interesting how this image blurs lines – the utility of a coin bank design depicted through the "un-utility" of a drawing, a tension between practicality and aesthetics in a difficult era. So much more than just a frog! Curator: Absolutely. The act of depicting it underscores an interesting dialog between consumer objects and American aspiration. We tend to underestimate children's products as agents that are charged with financial expectations, no? Editor: Yes! I hadn't really considered what anxieties can be passed on in things we think are trivial! Thanks for helping me understanding this artwork better.