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Viktor Schreckengost
January 31, 2008
Who is Viktor Schreckengost? Good question! I had never heard of him until I read his obituary this week. Dead at the age of 101, Viktor Schreckengost invented some of the most basic toys we have.
According to his obituary in the New York Sun: “The little red metal wagons that so many children use were . . . Schreckengost's brainchild, including the jointed handle that allows the child to steer the wagon while driving.”
He also played a major part in bicycle design. Again, according to the New York Sun: “His innovations in bicycle design went far beyond the aesthetic. He held patents on folding frames and innovative seat designs. In the 1960s, he created the "banana" seat to help kids do wheelies and added the "sissy bar" to keep them from falling off.”
Viktor Schreckengost’s life ran to just about the same expanse of time as the Toy Building. He saw every innovation the 20th century had to offer and a few in the 21st. I wish I had met him.
Some people in the industry have suggested that toy and game designers have their names listed on the packaging along with the companies who make them. Sounds like a good and long overdue idea.
Posted by Richard Gottlieb on January 31, 2008 | Comments (0)
