In 1916, the A.C. Gilbert Company of Erector Set fame was pitching “Brik-tor,” a new toy that they were marketing by trying to organize engineering clubs for boys to rival the Boy Scouts. Meanwhile, over at Shartenberg’s department store, they were selling Jordans — not the sneakers, but Ned Jordan’s new automobile, where the trick was he manufactured nothing but assembled the vehicle from parts bought from other companies. Welcome to This Day In Erector Set History as your host Allan Appel and Jason Bischoff-Wurstle of the New Haven Museum time-travel back to Christmas of that year.
Click on the file above to play or download.
