“Hoot-nanny” Traces Million Designs by Turn of Crank (Apr, 1933)
Filed under: Toys and Games — @ 12:48 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1933
| Buy on Ebay
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1933
| Buy on Ebay
“Hoot-nanny” Traces Million Designs by Turn of Crank
OF SPECIAL interest to children is a new sensational toy which forms millions of symmetrical designs on paper disks. No particular skill is required in operation. A pencil is inserted in the position shown in the photo and a crank turned, whereupon the designs are traced with amazing accuracy. The designs can be colored with crayons that come with the toy.
Just why, we don’t know, but the toy has been given the unique name of “Hoot-nanny” by the manufacturers.
After Jethro left the firm it was renamed “SpiroGraph”
Comment by jayessell — May 28, 2008 @ 4:43 am
Cool! My grandmother used to have one of those stashed in her toy closet for when the grandkids would come over.
Same kind of squiggly lines as Spirograph, but it did it without all the geared disks. Definitely a different feel when using it.
Comment by Dirty Jake — May 28, 2008 @ 7:17 am
She looks like she’s having the time of her life, doesn’t she?
Comment by Blurgle — May 28, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
I used to play with a Hoot Nanny just like the one above and made many different patterns to colour. I am 54 now and it was hidden away at my dads. The box only has a lid, but the inside is complete even my designs are still there!!! What simple fun we had for hours with that
Comment by julie oakes — June 1, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
My sister and I were just emailing about this today. I have two versions we played with as children back in the ’50’s. One is the “Hoot Nanny” made by Northern Signal Company, Milwaukee, and the other is the “newer” version, “Magic Designer,” made by the same company, in Saukville. The instruction booklet lists the settings for model designs. With silver dollar-size gears that each had 8 settings, (S-Z) and (1-8) on the circumference and interior, and the two jointed arms with settings A-R, we made gorgeous, complex drawings. It was a favorite toy, especially when we were confined to quarters with measles or chickenpox or flu, and I distinctly remember trying hard to be as neat and patient as my older sisters were in building up a pattern incrementally. It was hard to cut out new circles when we ran out. Wouldn’t it be nice to get 100 new blank circles straight from the factory as advertised for 60 cents and 6 cents postage?
Comment by Elizabeth Benefiel — September 5, 2009 @ 11:02 am
jayessell: Not quite a spirograph http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2zzu.....signer.JPG
Comment by Firebrand38 — September 5, 2009 @ 11:36 am
I searched this toy just for fun and, lo and behold, here it is. This toy gave me tremendous joy when I was a young girl, probably 60 years ago. How lovely to find other people who enjoyed it as much as I did. My grandchildren are all grown up and too old to make use of such a toy, but I wonder if it is still available in the same form as mine was. If it is, I’d purchase it in the blink of an eye and put it aside for my great-granddaughter and future great-grandchildren.
Comment by Rhoda — October 31, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
Rhoda…
Several on eBay!
Comment by jayessell — October 31, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Rhoda: Click on this http://cgi.ebay.com/1940-s-Mag.....1c0d05f0e4
Comment by Firebrand38 — October 31, 2009 @ 5:39 pm