BROWSE THE SOURCES

HOW TO READ OUR SOURCES

Source Markers

Numbered source markers such as [1], [2], and [3] identify sources supporting specific statements.

The Sources & Notes section on the same page identifies each source and, where needed, explains what it supports and any limits to the evidence.

Source numbers apply only to the page where they appear. For example, [2] on the Sun Rubber Company page may identify a different source from [2] on the Rempel Manufacturing page.

Repository & Access Information

Where relevant, bibliography entries name the archive, library, database, digital collection, or private collection through which the museum consulted a source.

This information identifies the copy the museum examined. It does not necessarily identify the owner or location of the original historical item. Some sources may require a subscription, an appointment, or permission to access.

Evidence vs. Interpretation

A citation helps visitors trace a statement to its source. It does not mean that every question about that source—or the history it describes—has been resolved.

The museum distinguishes between documented facts, evidence-supported interpretations, tentative identifications, attributions made by collectors, and unresolved questions. These assessments may change as new evidence becomes available.

Want to see the evidence itself? Explore The Evidence Files for the patents, trade publications, advertisements, photographs, packaging, and other primary sources used to reconstruct rubber-duck history. 

PRIMARY SOURCES & HISTORICAL RECORDS

Patents

• Ganine, Peter.

Design for a Toy Duck. U.S. Design Patent D153,514. Filed December 29, 1947; patented April 26, 1949.

Documents Ganine's ornamental duck design. The patent's references include Playthings, March 1945, p. 129, identifying the “Left Duck bottom row.” This reference provides a lead in the museum's investigation of duck designs predating Ganine's patent.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, USD153514S. Accessed September 2026. View the digitized patent record 

• Gordon, Burgess L., Jr.

Aquatic Toy. U.S. Patent No. 2,101,646. Filed November 28, 1936; patented December 7, 1937. Assigned to Hogan Inventions, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Describes a floating toy shaped as a swimming duck, with rubber body walls and an internal inflatable rubber bag that supplies air for propulsion. It documents a rubber-bodied aquatic duck design but does not, by itself, establish commercial production or intended bathtub use.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, US2101646A. Accessed November 1, 2026. View the digitized patent record

• Hubbell, Clarence W.

Water Toy. U.S. Patent No. 1,851,768. Filed July 7, 1930; patented March 29, 1932. Assigned to Revere Rubber Company, Providence, Rhode Island.

Describes stabilizing pontoons for inflatable animal-shaped water toys. The specification identifies ducks and swans among existing water-toy forms and describes rubber construction. It supports the museum’s investigation of duck-shaped water toys before Shannahan’s 1931 application, but does not establish a particular commercially produced bathtub duck.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, US1851768A. Accessed November 1, 2026. View the digitized patent record

• Leaf, Ludwig.

Design for a Toy Duck or Similar Article. U.S. Design Patent D153,708. Filed April 17, 1948; patented May 10, 1949. Assigned to Empire Plastic Corporation, New York, New York.

Documents a separate ornamental duck design by Ludwig Leaf. It provides a comparison for studying duck designs patented during the same period as Ganine's.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, USD153708S. Accessed September 2026. View the digitized patent record 

• Mobley, Edward L., and Robert P. Molitor.

Method for Rotational Casting of Hollow Articles. U.S. Patent No. 2,696,024. Filed January 28, 1953; patented December 7, 1954. Assigned to The Sun Rubber Company, Barberton, Ohio.

Documents a process for rotational casting of hollow flexible articles from synthetic plastic resins, including vinyl polymers and copolymers. The patent builds upon Molitor's earlier vinyl-manufacturing process and supports the museum's research into changes in toy materials and manufacturing.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, US2696024A. Accessed September 2026. View the digitized patent record 

• Molitor, Robert P.

Method of Manufacturing Articles from Vinyl Resins. U.S. Patent No. 2,629,134. Filed June 27, 1950; patented February 24, 1953. Assigned to The Sun Rubber Company, Barberton, Ohio.

Documents a process for manufacturing hollow articles from vinyl polymers and plasticizers. The patent discusses vinyl chloride polymer for dolls and children's toys and presents advantages over rubber for those uses. It provides evidence of manufacturing technology relevant to the museum's research into the transition from rubber to vinyl.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, US2629134A. Accessed September 2026. View the digitized patent record 

• Ranney, Leo, and Harcourt F. Gade.

Toy. U.S. Patent No. 1,900,419. Filed December 12, 1930; patented March 7, 1933.

Describes a floating aquatic toy that uses an air-powered whistle to produce sound and assist propulsion. The specification identifies a hollow duck, swan, or similar animal made from celluloid or comparable material as an already-known toy form. It provides evidence of duck-shaped floating toys before Shannahan's application, but does not establish rubber construction, explicit bathtub use, or commercial production of the patented design.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, US1900419A. Accessed November 1, 2026. View the digitized patent record

• Shannahan, Eleanor.

Aquatic Toy. U.S. Patent No. 1,918,874. Filed March 4, 1931; patented July 18, 1933.

Describes an aquatic toy using hollow animal forms, including a duck adapted for use in a child's bathtub. The specification identifies rubber, celluloid, or another appropriate material as possible construction materials. This is evidence of a documented bath-duck concept; the patent alone does not establish commercial production.

Digital copy consulted: Google Patents, US1918874A. Accessed September 2026. View the digitized patent record 

Trade & Period Publications

• Playthings

Artoys advertisement. Playthings, March 1945, p. 129.

Contains the duck image the museum investigated as the “1945 Playthings Duck.” Peter Ganine's U.S. Design Patent D153,514 cites this page and specifically identifies the “Left Duck bottom row.”

The advertisement provides an Artoys company lead, while the duck's exact product identity, material, and intended use remain under investigation.

Copy consulted: Page scan supplied by the Library of Congress, received September 30, 2026.

• Mennonite Life

“D. G. Rempel's Adventure in Toy Manufacturing.” Mennonite Life, vol. 5, no. 1, January 1950, pp. 41–43. Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas.

Contemporary illustrated account of Dietrich G. Rempel and his rubber-toy manufacturing work. The article depicts and identifies Squawky the Duck and other named Rempel animal characters. Illustrations on pp. 41–43 are credited to Rempel Manufacturing Co.

This source documents Squawky as a named Rempel character by January 1950, before the December 1954 copyright registration. It does not establish the character's first production or retail-release date.

Digital source: Bethel College, Mennonite Life archive.

View the digitized January 1950 issue

• The Billboard

The Billboard. February 17, 1951. Trade notice concerning Sun Rubber Company's Dippy Duck.

Contemporary reporting describes Dippy Duck as an approximately eight-inch vinyl plastic tub toy. This source supports the museum's documentation of a commercially marketed vinyl duck intended for tub play by 1951.

Digital copy consulted: World Radio History, digitized issue of February 17, 1951. Accessed September 2026.

View the digitized issue

• Infants' & Children's Review

“By Plakie.” Infants' & Children's Review, September 1947, p. 144. Haire Publishing Company.

A contemporary trade report describes Plakie's newly introduced “Tubbies” as plastic floating toys, available in pink or blue with a rattle inside. Accompanying material identifies Pam and Algie as Plakie's Tubbies. This source supports the museum's research into commercially marketed plastic floating toys before 1950.

Digital copy consulted: Google Books, 1947 bound volume.

Plakie product coverage identifying Pam and Algy. Infants' & Children's Review, 1947, p. 232.

Contemporary trade-publication material identifying “Pam, the baby duck” and “Algy, the baby turtle” as Plakie plastic Tubbies. Describes hand decoration, a smooth finish, pastel pink or blue coloring, and commercial packaging. This source supports identifying named Plakie toys and their marketing as plastic products.

Citation note: Issue month, article title, and source-copy details remain to be confirmed.

Catalogs & Retail Publications 

• Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Catalog No. 191: Fall and Winter 1945. Chicago: Sears, Roebuck and Co., 1945. Printed p. 184, item E, “Three Soap Ducks.”

Contemporary retail-catalog listing for three approximately two-inch castile-soap ducks offered as a set for 59 cents. This source documents duck-shaped soap marketed in 1945, rather than rubber duck toys. It provides context for the variety of duck-shaped products available during the period.

Digital copy consulted: Catalogs & Wishbooks, Muse Technical, digitized 1945 Sears Fall/Winter Catalog, scan page 0120. Accessed September 2026.

View the digitized catalog page

• Sears, Roebuck and Co.

The 1945 Sears Christmas Book. Sears, Roebuck and Co., 1945. Printed p. 177, item H.

Contemporary retail-catalog page depicting a glass shelf set with assorted glazed-pottery plant holders, including a duck-shaped example. This source documents duck imagery in decorative household merchandise and should be distinguished from evidence of rubber or floating bath toys.

Digital copy consulted: Google Books, digitized The 1945 Sears Christmas Book, volume ID YoM8EAAAQBAJ. Accessed September 2026.

View the digitized 1945 Sears Christmas Book

• Viceroy–Sunruco.

Dolls—Playthings and Disneyland Character Merchandise. 1956. Dippy Duck listing, stock V-14020, under “Vinyl floating toys.”

Contemporary catalog listing documenting Dippy Duck among vinyl floating toys. It supports the museum's research into the product's marketing and the commercial connection between Viceroy and Sunruco. The listing alone does not establish which company manufactured the toy or define the companies' business relationship.

Source information: Canadian Museum of History, Library National Collection. Listing confirmed through museum research correspondence.

• Rempel.

Product catalogs. Individual titles and dates not yet established.

Catalog material used alongside original packaging and U.S. Copyright Office records to identify characters featured in the museum's Rempel exhibit.

Citation note: Individual catalog titles, dates, page references, and source locations will be added as confirmed.

Court Records & Legal Proceedings. 

National Latex Products Co. v. Sun Rubber Co., 274 F.2d 224 (6th Cir. 1959). Opinion issued October 28, 1959; rehearing denied January 13, 1960.

Federal appellate decision concerning Molitor's U.S. Patent No. 2,629,134 and Martin and Rekettye's related manufacturing-apparatus patent. Describes rotational casting of hollow vinyl articles and discusses evidence concerning process development, manufacturing advantages, and Sun Rubber's commercial production.

Used in the museum's research into toy-manufacturing technology and the transition from rubber to vinyl. Historical statements are interpreted in the context of the litigation and the evidence considered by the court.

Digital copy consulted: Justia, reproduced court opinion. Accessed November 1, 2026.

Read the court opinion

Barr Rubber Products Co. v. Sun Rubber Co., 425 F.2d 1114 (2d Cir. 1970). Decided April 30, 1970.

Federal appellate decision arising from litigation over Sun Rubber's Molitor vinyl-process patent, U.S. Patent No. 2,629,134. Discusses the manufacturing process, its advantages, and the history of related patent litigation.

Used in the museum's research into the industrial and commercial context of vinyl-toy manufacture. The opinion distinguishes procedural issues, disputed allegations, and earlier rulings; these should not be treated as interchangeable historical findings.

Digital copy consulted: Justia, reproduced court opinion. Accessed November 1, 2026.

Read the court opinion

Secondary & Reference Sources

Secondary sources provide historical context, interpretations, and leads for further research. The museum compares its claims with contemporary records, archival materials, and object evidence where possible.

• Doll Reference

Doll Reference. “Sun Rubber 1923+ Antique to Vintage Dolls of Barberton, Ohio Identified USA.”

Online reference used as a research lead concerning Sun Rubber's company chronology, products, and personnel. Dates and attributions are evaluated against contemporary and archival evidence before being presented as established findings.

• Doll Reader

Doll Reader. July 1997. Retrospective material concerning the Sun Rubber Company.

Identified among Sun Rubber research holdings at the Barberton Public Library Local History Room. Provides a lead for research into the company and its products.

Source location: Barberton Public Library, Local History Room, Sun Rubber research holdings.

Citation note: Article title, author, and page range remain to be confirmed.

RESEARCH CORRESPONDENCE & ORAL HISTORIES 

Correspondence and firsthand accounts help the museum locate sources, interpret historical materials, and investigate questions that surviving records do not fully answer. Where possible, recollections are compared with contemporary documentation. Research assistance does not imply endorsement of the museum's conclusions.

David Lieberth — Akron History Center

Research correspondence with The American Rubber Duck Museum concerning Seiberling Latex Products, Akron-area rubber-toy history, and surviving historical materials.

Used to identify research leads and provide historical context. Documents supplied through correspondence are cited separately where their identifying details are available.

Source type: Research correspondence.

Mark Boldt — Rubba Ducks

Interview with The American Rubber Duck Museum, September 28, 2026, and related research correspondence concerning the development and history of Rubba Ducks.

Provides a firsthand account used to investigate product development, company chronology, and surviving archival materials. Retrospective recollections are distinguished from dates and events independently supported by contemporary records.

Source type: Research interview and correspondence.

Henson Research Correspondence — Ernie's Duck

Response to The American Rubber Duck Museum, September 30, 2026, concerning the duck associated with Ernie and surviving information about its history.

The response reported that no purchase record had been located and identified cameraman Frank Biondi as having retained the white duck. This correspondence provides a research lead; the absence of a located purchase record does not establish that no such record ever existed.

Source type: Research correspondence.

Canadian Museum of History — Library National Collection

Research correspondence with The American Rubber Duck Museum concerning the 1956 Viceroy–Sunruco catalog, Dolls—Playthings and Disneyland Character Merchandise.

Museum staff confirmed that Dippy Duck appears under “Vinyl floating toys” as stock V-14020. The museum’s citation relies on staff confirmation rather than direct examination of the complete catalog. The listing does not by itself establish which company manufactured the toy.

Source type: Institutional research correspondence.

Barberton Public Library — Local History Room

Research correspondence with The American Rubber Duck Museum concerning Sun Rubber Company holdings, including archival files, photographs, employee materials, publications, and printing plates.

Used to identify relevant sources and obtain descriptions or reproductions of selected materials. Holdings identified by staff are distinguished from materials directly examined by the museum.

Source type: Institutional research correspondence.

Akron-Summit County Public Library — Special Collections

Research correspondence with The American Rubber Duck Museum concerning Rempel Manufacturing, Dietrich G. Rempel, and related local-history materials.

Used to locate archival sources and obtain selected materials supporting research into the company’s products, manufacturing practices, and chronology. Individual historical documents are cited separately where sufficient details are available.

Source type: Institutional research correspondence.

Access to Correspondence & Interview Materials

These entries identify communications used in the museum's research; they do not indicate that complete messages, recordings, or transcripts are publicly available. Any publication of private correspondence or interview material is considered separately from its use as a research source.

CITING THE MUSEUM'S RESEARCH

Researchers, writers, collectors, and institutions are welcome to cite the museum’s published research.

Because pages may change as new evidence emerges, please include The American Rubber Duck Museum as the author, the page title, the page URL, and your access date. Include the page’s last-updated date when available.

Suggested format:

The American Rubber Duck Museum. “[Page title].” [Section title, if applicable]. Last updated [date, if shown]. [Page URL]. Accessed [date].

Example:

The American Rubber Duck Museum. “Rempel Manufacturing, Inc.” The Makers Files. https://sites.google.com/view/americanrubberduckmuseum/research-desk/rempel-manufacturing. Accessed November 1, 2026.

When discussing an original historical source identified through the museum's research, cite that source directly where possible. Also cite the museum page when drawing on its interpretation, comparisons, or research findings.