The design of objects and spaces for children is a hot topic these days, as evidenced by a spate of recent publications and exhibitions dealing with subjects ranging from school and playground design to summer camps, museums, toys, and games. Tamar Zinguer's recent book Architecture in Play: Intimations of Modernism in Architectural Toys finds a place squarely within this trend, at a site of intersection between architectural history and the material cultures of childhood: construction toys. Zinguer's book is not a comprehensive study of construction sets (no Lincoln Logs or Lego here). It focuses on four case studies: Friedrich Froebel's kindergarten Gifts and Occupations (1836); Gustav and Otto Lil-ienthal's Anchor Stone Building Blocks (1877); Frank Hornby's Meccano (1901) and A. C. Gilbert's Erector Set (1911); and Charles and Ray Eames's Toy (1951) and House of Cards (1952).
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