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Junior Craft Club of America

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The Junior Craft Club of America was a 1950's era mail-in club.

Mail in 10 cents and receive a membership button and be put on the mailing list for new catalogs of products from the Handicraft Creations headquarters in Brooklyn, NY.

That was it.

However, the creation of the company and it's several name changes is a fascinating story of Michael Carlton Dank, a public school teacher  in Brooklyn who was full of American ingenuity, finding a niche and filling it, inspiring untold number of children to learn to build and create with their own hands toys and gifts for themselves and for others. He did this by creating "Kits" of everything a person would need to complete a simple craft; patterns, jigsaw saw and blades, wood pieces, sandpaper, ruler,  hammer, cotter pins, carbon paper, instructions, crayons, pliers, glue, dowels, washers, brads, paint, etc. Some of these Boy Toymaker kits survive today.

He trademarked "THE BOY TOYMAKER" in 1919.

Shown below are images of some

of the products he developed and sold.

He was such a creative person.

He should not be forgotten.

IF there's a list of best Educational Toy-Makers - I hope he's on it!

Junior Craft Club of America membership button is

1 3/8" diameter, two known colors, no makers mark.

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(Below) Youth Companion Magazine, October 13, 1921 ad. It appears that only 1 version of The Boy Toymaker Outfit kit was offered at this time.

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This wooden case was the top of the line in the “Outfit” kits. $10.00.

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By this 1923 ad in Boys’ Life Magazine, the cover art has been updated. The “cover boy” has escaped his sailor suit of the 1919 box art and now wears a white “Middy” style shirt with an orange scarf with white stripes.

“DRAW IT, SAW IT, PAINT IT, MAKE IT”

An interior view of a well-preserved Boy Toymaker kit

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This 1924 ad shows new features:

 

Girls are included in the tag line of Loads of Sport for Boys and Girls of Every Age.

 

By 1924 The Boy Toymaker Outfits come in 5 price ranges.

 

New “Mult-I-Game is offered

 

 

Radio making kits are all the rage – and the oddly spelled Radio Konstructor kit was offered for $5.00, a later 1924 ad shows a price of $5.25.

 

The Kiddie Kardboard Toymaker kits were the answer to the need for something for younger hands.

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The “cover boy” of the Radio Konstructor ad has an updated look, wearing a shirt and tie. This shows up later on The Boy Toymaker Outfit kits. c. 1924

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1925 Boy's Life magazine

"Builds Boys as Well as Toys"

5 Outfit Kits are offered: No. 1 - $1.00, No. 2 - $2.00, 

No. 3 - $3.50, No. 4 - $5.00, No. 5 - $10.00

 

West of Denver, CO and Canada cost 10% more

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1927

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1927

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A separate ad offers 3 versions of the Boy Boat-Builder kits.

1927

1927

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The Kiddie Kardboard Toymaker was for the young set.

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The "Junior Art Kraft" kits are introduced around 1927

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Contains all the same stuff as Boy Toymaker 47A6, $1.00 (above) AND SO MUCH MORE!

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•This undated partial image of the box shows the “cover boy” wearing a white shirt and striped tie. This style first showed up in a 1924 ad of the Radio Konstructor kit, however the ads for the Boy Toymaker outfit kits continued with the older style of boy through 1927. 

 

•The “Boy Toymaker” font has changed to a hand-crafted look.

  • The 1925 trademarked "Builds Boys As Well As Toys" is on the cover.

 

•The 1928 “Education Joy-Toy” tag line is noted, but the company name is the pre-1928 M. Carlton Dank & Co., rather than the newer “The M. Carlton Dank Toy Corp.”

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These are just a few examples from the creative mind of Michael Carlton Dank - school teacher, author, entrepreneur, etc.

Michael Carlton Dank (1898-1980)

Public School Teacher, Author, Craftsman, Toymaker

 

Outline

Background – parents Abraham Hyman Dank born 1871 Russia & Mary Laury (Lury, Lawry) born 1875 Russia, several siblings. Abraham remarried 1905 to Ester, remarried later to Frances. Michael was born  in New York, NY.

 

Author:

  • Toymaking in the Schools, Manual Training Magazine, Devoted to the Manual Arts in Vocational and General Education, July 1920 Vol XXII, No. 1, pages 141-143

  • Toymaking as a Summer Activity, The Industrial-Arts Magazine An Educational Monthly, Volume IX 1920 pages 240-242

  • Dank, Michael C. Adventures in Scrap Craft 1946. 379p. illus. Greenberg, $4 The home craftsman will find this a fascinating guide to the making of both practical and entertaining articles out of the odds and ends of fabric, wood, metal, leather and other forms of scrap that are available from factories and other sources. Wisconsin Library Bulletin, Volumes 41-43

  • Creative Crafts in Wood 1945, 1946 200p. illus. Manual Arts, $3

  • Scrap Crafts 105 Projects, 1969

 

Teacher:

  • Instructor of Manual Arts, Brooklyn, NY

  • Instructor at summer camp for boys for at least 2 summers.

 

Proprietor:

  • 1919 - The Boy Toymaker Copyright 1919 by M Carlton Dank, Manufactured by M. Carlton Dank & Co. Brooklyn, N.Y. Cover artwork by Jack Fabricant. Box kit.

  • 1920 - Toy Patterns, portfolio 10 ½ “x 14”, published by the Manual Arts Press, Peoria, IL. 12 sheets of full size patterns to make 19 toys, mostly suitable for direct copying and reproduction with coping saw. 80¢

  • 1924 products:

    • The Boy Toymaker Outfits (kits 1-5) Contains complete materials and tools for making many fine wooden toys and novelties. Five sizes, $1.00, $2.00, $3.50, $5.00 and $10.00.

    • The Muli-I-Game - On this wonderful combination game board you can play ten thrilling and amusing games in one. Just think! Baseball, racing, put and take. Coast to coast and six others. It’s fun for the whole family. Price $1.00.

    • Radio Konstructor– teaches radio-builds practical sets. Contains complete plans, parts. Tools, instructions and complete aerial equipment. Price $5.00.

    • Kiddie Kardboard Toymakers – Combines painting, cutting and making of fascinating cardboard toys and novelties. In two attractive sizes, $1,00 and $1.50.

 

1926 Product Line:

  • Boy Toymaker Outfit No. 6601 Contains every essential for making wooden toys and novelties. It is equipped with fine soft wood, brad awl, joining pins, tracing, coloring and sand-papering materials, and a set of full size patterns of toys and novelties. Complete Manual of Instructions furnished with each outfit. Size about 12 in. long, 9 in. wide, 1 in high. Price postpaid $1.25. Box edge says Boy Toymaker No. 1.

  • Boy Toymaker Outfit No. 6002 contains all the material described in Outfit No. 6601 and is also equipped with saw bench and metal clamp, larger supply of wood, saw blades and joining pins, and a greater variety of pattern designs, including some of the larger toy models. Packed substantially in neat, heavy cardboard box, about 14 in. long, 10 in. wide and 2 in. High. Price postpaid $2.50. Box edge says Boy Toymaker No. 2.

  • Boy Toymaker Outfit No. 6604 is put up in a most attractive WOODEN BOX and offers many additional advantages for making loads of toys and novelties. It contains all the material listed under the No. 6602 Set and a whole lot more. It contains a large supply of wood blades, designs, cotters pins, wheels. Etc., and it has such added features as metal plyers, a strong brad hammer and nails for assembling the larger toys; wheels and washers, aeroplane parts, extra supply of wood, a most unique set of toy designs for making Aeroplanes, Boats, Furniture, etc., metal plyers, a jar of paste for mounting colored and funny pictures on wood to be cut our with jig saw, not to mention the large wooden cabinet with special compartments for keeping its big equipment in order at all times. Price postpaid $6.00.

 

  • 1928 list of “Educational Joy-Toy” Line:

    • The Boy Toymaker (No. 2)

    • The Boy Boat-Builder

    • Junior Air-Kraft

    • Educational Metal Kraft

    • Junior Art Kraft Builder

    • Strip-o-Wood Model Maker

    • Kite Kraft

    • Kiddie Kardboard Toymaker

    • Radio Konstructor

    • Jig-Saw Puzzle Kraft

    • The Multigame

 

Patents:

  • #160,341 Oct 17, 1919?

  • #167,075 July 19, 1922

Known Business Names, Dates and Addresses:

  • M. Carlton Dank & Co. – 1919 – Brooklyn, N.Y.

  • The Boy Toymaker Company – 1920 – 2710 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y.

  • M. Carlton Dank & Co. – 1924 – Dept 312, 2734 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y.

  • M. Carlton Dank & Co. – 1925 – Dept. 2 B-L, 2734 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. (still at this address in Sept 1926)

  • The M. Carlton Dank Toy Corp. - 1927 - 465-467 Liberty Ave, Brooklyn, N.Y.

  • Handicraft Creators, Inc. – by 1946 – 1734 President St., Brooklyn 13, N.Y.

  • Handicraft Creators, Inc. – by 1953 – 62 Schenectady, Brooklyn N.Y.

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