Stories

Boxes within Boxes, worlds within worlds. Artists and their toys One of our finds this year were these beautiful tin toys by Leman, carousels, clowns on bikes, cycling ducks. Made in Germany to the traditional designs, the highly decorated tinplate toys with keys come in brown boxes with a nostalgic label to remind you of…

Two Charlie Chaplins take over the Covent Garden piazza while Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap breaks records as the longest-running West End show ever, Cabaret leaves audiences breathless year after year and Count Dracula transforms into a gothic feast on ballet shoes. The heart of London has got it all for any theatre lover worthy of their…

All the Fun of the Tin Toys Currently on show at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop is the most wonderful funfair of clowns playing drums, dogs chasing balls, elephants riding tricycles, and many more colourful characters brightening up our London spring! The first time tin toys captured my imagination was about a couple of years ago. As…

People often ask me “how did you get into running a toyshop and the London institution of Pollocks?” I say I was born into it. And whilst I wasn’t a member of the Pollock family, neither the Fawdrys or the Baldwins,  I grew up with Pollocks and worked for both. The story started for my…

Tug Rice is a New York based actor and illustrator known for his glamorous, theatrical work made of fluid lines and charming characters. He recently collaborated with Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop on our latest release: Tableaux, a series of three paper theatre dioramas. We spoke to Tug on his recent visit to the shop about his…

Inspired by the Cantabrian grey sea and beech forests of her childhood, artist María Gordon creates silent stories about creatures and landscapes from other worlds, blending dreams, memories, nature and spirit folklore. María’s work spans from illustrations to dioramas, peep-shows to praxinoscopes, but this is her first time experimenting with a toy theatre. Hi María,…

The History of Objects A glimpse of Japanese culture through the stories behind its toys (Part Two) After the freshest cup of green tea I’m finally ready to embark on more adventures around Japan… • Stop five: Gangukan (Japanese Folk Toys Museum) One of my most anticipated stops during this trip was always Kurashiki’s Gangukan…

The History of Objects A glimpse of Japanese culture through the stories behind its toys (Part One) A month ago I left my role as dragon guarding the Pollock’s tower for a couple of weeks of travels around Japan. Little did I know, the toys decided to follow me… Always bewitched by the secret history…

As panto season comes to an end, we wanted to go behind the scenes and ask ZEEL, our Christmas artist for 2024 about the process of making a toy come to life from a sketch to a wooden character. Chiara interviewed Zeel who was speaking from his workshop in East Sussex. CS: Hey Mr. Zeel!…

As this year we celebrate 44 years at No. 44 at our upstairs shop in Covent Garden’s market building, we wanted to celebrate with a party. It’s a toy party and we invited ZEEL to draw up the guest list. Covent Garden is know for the theatres, the pantomimes, the fruit and veg (as it…

Dioramas inspired by patisserie delights and fake food. Theatrical miniature worlds to make your mouth water. Pop by the shop this autumn to join the feast created by multi media artist Jane Farrington. Chiara chatted to Jane ahead of the exhibition at the shop which runs from 12th September until 24th October 2024   Chiara:…

Claire Fletcher is a Hastings-based illustrator and toy collector. Her work can be enjoyed at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop as part of the 44 Years at No. 44 exhibition, showcasing 44 vintage toys from the artist’s collection and the respective original illustrations by her. All these are for sale alongside the popular Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop Pop-Up…

Karina Harrison is a Polish-born dollmaker based in the UK. We’ve recently had a chat with the artist about her paper-mache and textiles creations, exhibited at the shop from the 27th February to the 26th March. Chiara: Let’s start with your doll exhibition currently on at the shop: what are the ideas and inspirations behind…

Dollmakers Miss Ella and Miss Kina join forces and visions to offer us a peek into their surreal worlds and the characters inhabiting them. Ahead of the exhibition we talk to Ella Goodwin, illustrator and designer of the popular Miss Ella doll kits. Ella’s dolls will be showcased and on sale at the shop from…

In 1884 Robert Louis Stevenson fell in love with the magical realm of toy theatres –miniature stages on which one could enact the spectacles of the day–at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop. “If you love art, folly, or the bright eyes of children,” he wrote, “speed to Pollock’s.” Miraculously, one can still speed to Pollock’s Toyshop in…

Curious Pip (Sarah Burford)  is a doll and miniature maker as well as illustrator based in Bristol. Ever since she was a child, her main inspirations come from old Hollywood movies, old cloth dolls, vintage mannequins and 1930s-40s comic strip characters. A collection of her dolls in flawless classic Hollywood glamour will be available to…