A. C. Gilbert Company

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The A.C. Gilbert Company (formerly known as Mysto Manufacturing) is a company co-founded by Alfred Carlton Gilbert. It's notable for developing a popular construction toy called the Erector Set. The company is infamous for commercializing a series of dangerous toys for children.

Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory

Picture of the toy laboratory.

The U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory was a toy designed to enable kids to "actually see the paths of electrons and alpha particles traveling at speeds of more than 10,000 miles per second". The kit included samples of various radioactive materials, such as Uranium, Zinc and Lead.

It came with an instruction manual and a coupon for purchasing new radioactive sources. The manual explained that the provided radioactive sources would degrade over periods ranging from 1 to 50 years[1].

Gilbert Chemistry Set

Restored chemistry set.
Paragraph from the chemistry set manual teaching kids how to make an explosive mixture.

The chemistry set developed by A.C. Gilbert contained poisonous and explosive substances.

References

  1. Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab (1950-1951).  (Photographs of the items included in the kit.)

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