Britain’s oldest toy museum is facing a fight for its future after a history dating back to 1877, because it is losing its home.
Pollock's Toy Museum has a unique collection of vintage toys and games, from 100-year-old teddy bears and a set of Russian dolls bearing the faces of Soviet leaders to more modern items such as a Buzz Lightyear display. The treasure trove of childhood delights has been housed in its current premises, a Georgian townhouse in Fitzrovia, London, since 1969.
But the Mirror reports the venue has been forced to close its doors and the toys have been put in storage while the owners hunt for a new home. “Due to a change in circumstances surrounding the ownership of the buildings, we have been unable to negotiate a sustainable future for the collection in its current location,” says 32-year-old Jack Fawdry, who runs the family business with his girlfriend, fellow artist Emily Baker, 28.
It is the end of an era for a museum with a fascinating history. Benjamin Pollock, who created intricate toy theatres, and was known as the last of London's great toymakers, founded a shop in Hoxton, East London in 1877, although its origins date even earlier to 1851.
His work inspired visits from a host of theatrical stars and writers, including Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson, Charlie Chaplin and even a young Winston Churchill. But a doodlebug rocket destroyed the attraction during the Second World War, and Benjamin’s daughters sold the business to bookseller Alan Keen and his friend George Speaight.
They worked hard to continue the tradition of toy theatre craft, but by 1951 the shop was facing bankruptcy. It was saved by Jack's great-grandmother, Marguerite Fawdry.
When she rang up to ask about a part for her son's theatre, she was told none were available individually, but she could buy the entire stock. She agreed on a whim to do that and in 1955 established the museum alongside the shop.
In 1969, the shop moved into its London Fitzrovia premises in Scala Street, expanding into the house next door two years later, creating a maze of rooms. “The toy theatre business has been steered through 170 years of history by strong matriarchs,” Jack says. “They have been the backbone of Pollock’s.”
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While many people in post-war Britain were getting rid of Victorian toys and memorabilia, Marguerite was snapping them up. “It was a canny move,” explains Alan Powers, a historian and chairman of Pollock’s Toy Museum Trust. “The museum was magical.”
Marguerite’s museum was full of unusual twists. An entire nursery filled with china dolls, or staircases lined with snakes and ladders board games.
“It was a far cry from the usual stuffy displays,” says Alan. “She organised plays on space and the Wild West. She and [her husband] Kenneth travelled extensively through Europe, showcasing their weird and wonderful finds in the museum.
“Marguerite had an excellent eye and a lifelong curiosity about other cultures. At her heart though, she loved children and wanted to nurture their imaginations.”
However, it was tough keeping a small independent museum going in London. “The tax man telephoned and she replied, ‘Tell him I’m dead, would you, darling?’” Alan says. “But Mrs F’s powers of persuasion were legendary.”
Jack was five when his great- grandmother died in 1995 aged 83. Though Jack and his father updated the museum, including a display on Buzz Lightyear, the display cases remained little altered since Marguerite’s days.
The landmark lured modern-day stars such as Angelina Jolie, David Bowie and Paul McCartney, and survived the pandemic when Jack and Emily raised £41,568, including donations from Philip Pullman, the author of His Dark Materials.
But the museum is now packed in storage while Jack, Emily and the Pollock’s Trust work hard to secure its future. “There are not many museums as unique as ours. London changes so fast, it’s important to have things that stick around," said Jack.
"We aren’t here to make money, but to tell a story,” Jack says. We are very hopeful for the future, and with a heartwarming outpouring of support we are determined to continue the special magic of Pollock’s for future generations.”
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