| Seventeenth century Flemish painters show children blowing bubbles with clay pipes. Generations of 18th and 19th century mothers gave their children their leftover washing soap to blow bubbles. At the beginning of the 20th century, street peddlers and pitchmen were among the first to sell bubbles as a toy.
During the early 1940's, a chemical company, Chemtoy, which sold cleaning supplies, revolutionized the toy world by systematically bottling bubble solution. Tootsietoy Company later acquired the small chemical company and put bubble solution into full retail distribution by the late 1940s.
During the 1960s, bubbles became a symbol of peace and harmony to hippies and flower children and further popularized the sport of bubble blowing.
In the 1970's, 80's and 90's, bubble making companies like Imperial, Wells and Pustifix came into being increasing world-wide sales of bottles of bubble solution to more than 200 million a year.
Today, bubble solution is the best selling toy in the world! |
