The kite, Atari and Raggedy Andy named to Toy Hall of Fame
Last Updated: Friday, November 9, 2007 | 11:51 AM ET
CBC News
The venerable kite, the game-changing Atari 2600 and the beloved Raggedy Andy doll have been added to the U.S. National Toy Hall of Fame.
Officials with the New York-based Strong National Museum of Play, which houses the classic toy collection, announced the new entries Thursday.
The Atari 2600 video game system was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y., on Thursday.
(Strong National Museum of Play/Associated Press)
"They are outstanding toys that have engaged multiple generations over time, inspiring them to create, learn, discover," said G. Rollie Adams, the museum's president.
Museum officials said they considered the kite for its wide-reaching appeal across all continents over the past 3,000 years. Strong curators noted that while the kite has been used in the fields of science, construction and photography, its appeal as a toy was in its simplicity and elegance.
"A kite needs only a bit of a breeze, a wide open field and a kid who wants to play," curator Patricia Hogan said in a release.
At the other end of the spectrum, the revolutionary Atari 2600, released in October 1977 as the Atari VCS and packaged with joysticks and game cartridges, was praised for its dynamic graphics and sharp sound systems.
Curators noted that while the system was not the first of its kind, the interchangeable cartridge system was a true "game changer" for users. The retro system, touted by many as setting a high standard for future gaming devices, was synonymous with computer gaming in the '80s.
In its final entry, the museum acknowledged public pressure in the form of a petition signed by thousands. Following the 2002 induction of Raggedy Ann, consumers banded together to also include Raggedy Andy in the collection.
"The dolls are at last reunited in this place of honour, where they belong, together of course, for always," Hogan said.
Previous inductions have included the toy classics Mr. Potato Head, Play-Doh, Scrabble and checkers.
