Made in Orillia: The Toys that Built Childhood explores how locally produced toys shaped play, identity, and childhood in the mid-20th century. Drawing from the Orillia Museum of Art & History’s collection, the exhibition highlights toys produced by companies such as Tudhope Specialties Limited (later Orillia Tudhope Anderson Company or OTACO) and Lloyd Baby Carriages.

From miniature ovens, pressed-steel trucks, and doll carriages, the exhibition shows how toys reflected the social values of their time. Set against the backdrop of postwar prosperity and the looming Cold War, these toys carried messages about gender, work, family life, and consumer culture. While designed for play, they also mirrored adult expectations of who children were and who they were expected to be.

By placing Orillia’s toy industry within a broader historical and cultural context, this exhibition invites visitors to consider how toys shape childhood experiences, influence ideas about gender, and continue to reflect the world in which they are made.