Pollock's Toy Museum is a small

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

at two sites in London, England: the

Whitgift Centre The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre in the town centre of Croydon, opening in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre comprises of retail space, and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of ...

in Croydon and at

Leadenhall Market Leadenhall Market is a covered market in London, England, located on Gracechurch Street but with vehicular access also available via Whittington Avenue to the north and Lime Street to the south and east, and additional pedestrian access via ...

. The museum was started in 1956 in a single attic room at 44

Monmouth Street Monmouth Street is a street in the Seven Dials district of Covent Garden, London, England. Monmouth Street runs north to south from Shaftesbury Avenue to a crossroads with Tower Street and Shelton Street, where it becomes St Martin's Lane. A ...

, near

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

. As the enterprise flourished, other rooms were taken over for the museum and the ground floor became a toyshop. By 1969 the collection had outgrown the Monmouth Street premises and Pollock's Toy Museum moved to 1

Scala Street Scala Street is a street in the London Borough of Camden that runs between Charlotte Street and Whitfield Street. It was formerly known as Pitt Street but was renamed after the Scala Theatre when this occupied most of its north side. The street ...

, with a museum shop on the ground floor to contribute to its support. The museum had vintage teddies, dolls' houses, rocking horses, miniature theatres, electric train sets and antique models on display. The museum continues today to be run by the grandson of the founder Marguerite Fawdry. The museum announced on 18 January 2023 that it had not secured a new lease on its building and was looking for a new venue. The venue was closed, and staff and volunteers moved the stock into storage. The museum's collection is now divided between two pop-up locations: in the Whitgift Centre in Croydon and at Leadenhall Market. This is a temporary solution while a new permanent home is sought.

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Behind the Scenes at the Pollocks Toy Theatre Shop Factory Workshop
– Photo documentary by John Vickers from the late 1940s Toy museums in England Museums established in 1956 Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Camden Museums in the London Borough of Croydon Museums in the City of London 1956 establishments in England {{UK-museum-stub

See also

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