Building From 1851

Pollock's toy theatre shop

Image source: www.pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk

This was started by John Redington, selling printed sheets of characters and scenery for toy theatres. He ran it until his death when his family took over. 1877 his daughter Eliza married Benjamin Pollock (1856–1937) and they ran the shop, changing its name to Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop and selling the theatres as well as the sheets, until 1944 when the stock was sold and the business reopened as Benjamin Pollock Limited under new management at 1 John Adam Street in the Adelphi Building.

1950 it moved to smaller premises at 16 Little Russell Street but the business failed in 1951. 1955 it restarted at 44 Monmouth Street, and here in 1956 it also opened Pollock's Toy Museum. 1969 it moved to 1 Scala Street where the Museum remains (2019). 1980 a shop was opened at 44 The Market, Covent Garden.

Spitalfield's Life has a good post about this business.

January 2023: Ian Visits reported "Pollock’s Toy Museum forced to close", that's the Scala Street operation.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Pollock's toy theatre shop

Commemorated ati

Pollock's toy theatre shop

The business had just moved out when the building was destroyed by a WW2 bomb.

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