playette

There are wood-jointed circus figures circa 1925 - the ringmaster, the elephant, the clown, the bareback rider - as well as a Playette Theater with figures, circa 1942.

"With the United States heading into World War II," Ms. Saint-Pierre said, "metal shortages forced toy manufacturers like Playette to offer paper and cardboard alternatives for children to play with."

It was exactly the same playette that had been enacted over and over in his mother's bower; there were more players, and the faces were both different and often prettier, but it was the identical seript.