Broken Toy, The History of Toy Wooden Mouse Made Before Disney's Mickey Mouse
NEVER BEFORE ASSEMBLED INFORMATION

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Broken Toy

A Man's Dream, A company's Mystery

By Craig L. Andrews

Craig L. Andrews Publishing, L.L.C.

Nonfiction

Overview

At the end of the energetic 1920's, people have said an incident took place between two visionaries, a man from the world of toys, and a man from the burgeoning world of moving pictures. So remarkable is the rumor of an alleged incident between Torrence Leroy Dietz and Walter Elias Disney, that to this day, with all the principals passed on to their maker, and with few direct descendants remaining, the story of the obscure episode still lives vibrantly in the hearts of the residents of a small Pennsylvania town- nearly as folklore.

This work is a biographical view of a man's struggle and an alleged incident that not only changed his life but potentially set the stage for the rise of a new icon. In a broad sense, the objective of this work has been to remove the mystery of what happened to the Performo-Toy Company, and within that scope present the struggle of one of the principal architects of the company, a man whose dream and contribution had been lost with the passage of time.

Walt Disney's mouse was not the only mouse to find its way before the eyes of the nation's children. What is incredibly unique about this, beyond the mere fact there was a mouse other than Disney's, is that the Performo-Toy Company patent and trademark preceded Disney's by a year. Did this unique event really happen and why wasn't it more widely known? Interestingly, it has only been in the last twenty or thirty years that the story has resurfaced, perhaps the result of interest generated by baby-boomers foraging in the nostalgia forest.

A key element of the approach has been to obtain copies of as many documents as possible, documents about all facets of the history, in effect the paper trail. This was driven by two problems, the different and sometimes opposing interpretations expressed by local historians as well as descendants of the principals of the company, and secondly by the obvious deteriorating effect of time on memories. Where documentation did not exist an effort has been made to use surrounding facts to interpolate to the most logical representation.

Exerpts from the Work

In his nostalgic glance, Torrence probably marveled at his toy company and at his accomplishment, for how many people had owned a toy company in the 1920's. However, tempering his pride was probably a recurring hollowness spawned by a sense of failure. With deeper analysis, he may have found solace in a rationale that he couldn't have defended against the Great Depression that descended upon him. Did Torrence face two unjust calamites or merely one? Did Torrence ever wage battle against Disney to save his company's toy?

Under the guiding touch of the new toy entrepreneurs the Performo-Toy Company found success. They produced a diverse and wonderful wooden toy portfolio. The major elements behind the success of toy company, were the creations of Rene Grove's unstoppable genius, Torrence Dietz's increased marketing foray into the industry toy fairs, and the continued visibility in the key trade magazine. By the beginning of 1928, in addition to their mouse, Micky, which had exploded like the stock market on December 3, 1927, in which more shares of stock were sold than at any time in history, the Performo-Toy Company had a great number of toys forming the core of their business. The variety of toys that spilled from the Performo-Toy Company demonstrated their continued hope for developing into an industry trendsetter.

Surviving the years are the company's wondrous toys. These recurring public appearances in the media have served like a ship's bell in the fog, periodically awakening the folklore about the Performo-Toy Company. The enigmatic toy mouse, whether appearing on a television program about antiques or in a newspaper, always provokes questions related to origin and originality.

This work draws from extensive research, which includes over 60 figures comprised of pictures and documents.

Keywords: wooden antique toys, Disney, Mickey Mouse, patents, George Borgfeldt, Torrence Dietz,
toy company, historical, Middletown PA, American History

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................VII
FORWARD............................................................................IX
CHAPTER ONE: The Origin.....................................................1
CHAPTER TWO: Early Business............................................15
CHAPTER THREE: Meeting With Another Dreamer................29
CHAPTER FOUR: The Artist ................................................45
CHAPTER FIVE: Synergy of Art and Business........................53
CHAPTER SIX: Making and Selling Toys................................63
CHAPTER SEVEN: A New Toy Mouse..................................71
CHAPTER EIGHT: The New York Connection.......................89
CHAPTER NINE: World of Wondrous Toys..........................105
CHAPTER TEN: Unforeseen................................................125
CHAPTER ELEVEN: A Man of Film.....................................139
CHAPTER TWELVE: Performo-Toy Company's Dilemma.....149
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The Artist Moves On.......................167
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Genesis of Folklore.........................173
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Big and Small Fall.........................187
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The Mystery Continues.......................205