Approximately 20,000 vintage teddy bears, dolls, games, and toys were temporarily stored, but now some of them can be found in the pop-up museum located in Whitgift Shopping Centre, which opened its doors on Saturday 20th January.
Located next door to art studio, Turf Projects, the museum will be open every Saturday until June 2024 as Croydon celebrates it year as the London Borough of Culture.
The museum features a display exclusive to Croydon, made up of toys produced in a local factory called A Barton, which was based in New Addington during the 1950s to 80s.
The factory built in New Addington in 1955 produced a wide range of toys including model railways, farmyard buildings, Noah’s Arks, garages, and dollhouses. The range of customers these toys reached was evidently just as wide, with a reported 60% of production being exported to Europe and America.
In addition, visitors can find Tri-ang toys made by the Lines Bros in their nearby Merton Factory, listen to the Victorian Polyphon, buy unique Pollock papers and cards, hear stories about the toys and chat with the museum team about their toy memories.
The museum’s owners are still looking for a new permanent venue, but for now they hope the Croydon home will offer opportunities for the community, including craft-making and workshops.
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