This is a simply spectacular piece of 1950s Americana, a working Disneyland Mechanical Ferris wheel that was built by J. Chein & Co. of New Jersey. The 17-inch high colorful toy capitalized on the opening of the iconic theme park in Anaheim, California, seemingly predating the historic event by a couple of years or so. The all-tin piece features virtually every Disney cartoon character in intricate lithography on the six Ferris Wheel cars and most notably on the 5-by-10-inch base with elaborate 5-inch high Disneyland “entrance.” The long-running spring-wound motor is in working condition, as is the bell and spinning wheel. The J. Chein toys were a staple of Woolworth stores and other major retailers around the country. There is some modest wear visible to the 11-inch in diameter wheel, along with a bit of the expected dust and dirt from seven decades of being nestled comfortably in the attic of the original Baby Boomer owner. It is truly a superb artifact from the giddy years of postwar America when a war-weary nation could finally turn away from a decade of economic depression followed immediately by a horrific World War and a police action in Korea.