After closing in London’s Fitzrovia in January last year, Pollock’s Toy Museum is reopening as a pop-up in Croydon this week.
The UK’s oldest toy museum looks after a collection of toy theatres, tin toys, dolls and dolls houses, puppets, games, optical toys and “elderly teddy bears”. These all went into storage after the venue closed in 2023.
From Saturday 20 January (and every Saturday thereafter for the next six months), the Pollock’s Toy Museum pop-up can be found in unit 49 of Croydon’s Whitgift shopping centre.
The museum will showcase some of its existing collection, as well as an exclusive display of toys made in A Barton & Co Toys, a local factory. Also on view will be Tri-ang Toys made by the Line Bros in their nearby Merton factory.
On its Croydon opening weekend, the toy museum will put on free toy theatre shows. Entry to the pop-up is free but donations to save the collection are welcomed.
Pollock’s Toy Museum was founded back in 1955 by Marguerite Fawdry, who set up a shop and museum in Covent Garden.
The museum grew from a small attic room before relocating to Fitzrovia in 1969. It is now run by Jack Fawdry-Tatham and Emily Baker, as is the Pollock’s Toy Museum Trust.
UK’s oldest toy museum
The museum closed last year “due to a change in circumstances regarding the ownership of the buildings”, it said in a statement.
“We have already started exploring possibilities for a secure future for the museum and collection, in a location that will preserve its character while providing more space. For this, major capital funding in cash or in kind will be needed,” the museum said.
Pollock’s Toy Museum is also exhibiting in a temporary space in London’s Leadenhall Market until 26 January.
Images courtesy of Pollock’s Toy Museum
