Building    From 1914  To 1934

East London Toy Factory

Opened by Sylvia Pankhurst as an answer to the dozens of tiny failing workshops where women were paid a pittance. Toys were no longer being imported from Germany, so the factory employed 59 women to fill the gap. Originally they produced wooden toys and then dolls, followed by stuffed cats, dogs and bears. Sylvia took a taxi full of her wares to Selfridges new store in Oxford Street and cajoled Gordon Selfridge himself to become a stockist.

Roman Road has some interesting photos of this factory and confirms that the plaque's "babies nursery" was a creche where the women could leave their babies while they worked.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
East London Toy Factory

Commemorated ati

East London Toy Factory

45 Norman Grove. E. Sylvia Pankhurst set up the East London Toy Factory and ...

Read More

Other Subjects

The Children's Fold

The Children's Fold

A Barnardo's home, also referred to as Sheppard's House. It was established around 1887 at 182 Grove Road, E3. Its address is sometimes given as 180 Grove Road, so may have expanded into the neighb...

Group, Children, Philanthropy, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Mr Benn

Mr Benn

Character created by David McKee in the 1967 book Mr Benn - Red Knight. Dressed in black suit and bowler hat he sets out from his house each day to visit a fancy-dress shop where he tries on an out...

Fiction, Children, Fictional

1 memorial
Alfred Joseph Walter Sims

Alfred Joseph Walter Sims

Drowned in the 1898 HMS Albion disaster, aged 6. Buried in grave 3 at the memorial in East London Cemetery.

Person, Children, Tragedy

1 memorial
E. H. Shepard

E. H. Shepard

Painter and illustrator, most famously of Winnie the Pooh.   Ernest Howard was born 55 Springfield Road, St John's Wood.  His art school nickname, Kipper, stayed with him for life.  Served in WW1 e...

Person, Art, Children

1 memorial
Rita Ferguson

Rita Ferguson

We think Ferguson lived locally and was involved in the community at the Grove Estate, possibly in a role for the Hyde Housing Association.

Person, Children, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Richard William Clancey
War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Dulwich Village stocks

Dulwich Village stocks

SE21, Calton Avenue

From East Dulwich Forum we learn that: the stone was originally attached to a now lost village lock-up: the original site was actually ne...

1 subject commemorated
William Cawthorne Unwin

William Cawthorne Unwin

Civil and mechanical engineer.  Born Essex.  1900 he became the first London University professor of engineering. Died unmarried, at his home, 7 Palace Gate Mansions, 29 Palace Gate.

Person, Education, Engineering

2 memorials
Anthony Fatayi-Williams

Anthony Fatayi-Williams

Anthony Adebayo Omoregie Fatayi-Williams was born on 29 January 1979 the son of Dr Alan Fatayi-Williams and Marie Fatiya-Williams née Ikimi. His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1979 in t...

Person, Tragedy

3 memorials
William Crawford Gorgas

William Crawford Gorgas

Born Mobile, Alabama. Worked in the medical department of the US army and specialised in yellow fever. Died in London from a stroke while on his way to West Africa.

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine, USA

1 memorial