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Magic Designer

Produced by:

Northern Signal Company
Production Year:
c. 1950s
Medium:
Metal base and jointed drawing arms, die-cut paper discs, pencils, cardboard box, printed instruction booklet

Turn the crank and watch symmetrical, looping patterns bloom across a paper disc. Originally sold as "Hoot Nanny" by Chicago inventor Howard Bevan Jones, it was rebranded Magic Designer in the 1950s by Northern Signal Company. Adjustable crank pins and a shift lever let kids and adults create endless variations, with ads boasting "millions of different designs."

Origin:
USA-Wisconsin-Saukville
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