Toy, all Metal Cabin Cruiser Boat, Litho, By Ohio Art Co, U.S.A. 1960s

The Ohio Art Company was started in 1908 by Dr. Henry S. Winzeler, a dentist in Archbold, Ohio, who sold his practice because he was convinced novelty manufacturing held great promise for him. Renting part of a band hall and employing 15 women, the company was soon shipping picture frames to all parts of the country, as well as Canada and Mexico. The business grew rapidly, and Dr. Winzeler needed a larger plant.

Through the efforts of local citizens and the Chamber of Commerce, enough money was raised to build a new factory and lure The Ohio Art Company to a new location, Bryan, Ohio. With larger quarters and better shipping facilities, the firm continued to grow. Metal picture frames were being turned out at 20,000 per day. Though many different pictures were being reproduced and framed, by far the most popular were the famous “Cupid Awake” and “Cupid Asleep”. More than 50 million sets adorned the walls of American homes in the first half of the 20th century.

Soon after the move to Bryan in 1912, the company installed metal lithography equipment, an addition that would shape the company’s future. New items began to appear, advertising signs, scale dials and a few small wagons, representing the beginning of a long and successful run in the toy business.