Toy Boats

In the mid-nineteenth century, Britain was very much a maritime nation, and this, coupled with new town planning which saw new parks with decorative ponds introduced, as well as the rise in seaside holidays, created a craze for miniature boats which lasted for 100 years, until 1950. This exhibition features toy vessels – tiny ocean liners, paddle steamers, tin battleships and clockwork submarines – alongside games, catalogues and photographs exploring the trend and the history surrounding it. An Edwardian shop window is also recreated, as the advent of department stores with large plate-glass windows was crucial to advertising the miniature sailing craft.