BOB: THANK YOU for the additional Gilbert biographical references! The Gilbert toys of my childhood, which included chemistry sets, Erector sets, and my American Flyer S gauge trains (5 engines, 28 cars, and accessories) were my favorites! My only regret was my parent's not being able to afford the Atomic Energy Lab and their belief that it was probably too dangerous if it involved atomic energy like the bomb of the same name! My visits to the GHOS in New York City were many and on one occasion included a tour of the upper floors usually reserved for buyers and VIP's. The telephone operator at the GHOS was a neighbor of ours, and once got us her 40% discount on the 5 car A-B-A North Coast Limited, which my parents otherwise could not have afforded in the mid-fifties! As I stated above, I still admire Mr. Gilbert for his many achievements and skills, although I have never been a fan of trophy hunting of animals.
A final note about my parents: neither my mom nor dad finished grade school, yet I went on complete three years of chemistry in an advanced high school (Brooklyn Tech), two years of which were college level courses. I later took two additional years of college chemistry until stymied by calculus! My physics courses both in high school and college gave me much information about atomic energy, including fission and fusion and the basic mechanics of both types of nuclear weapons. My parents had no science background or understanding of atoms and molecules, but did encourage me to pursue a career in chemistry. As it turned out, I became an English professor with a science minor, which has come in handy in managing my renal hemodialysis these past 13 1/2 years! A knowledge of ions and the periodic table is very useful in managing end stage renal disease. And it all started with a couple of Gilbert chemistry sets!
