HE neat sweep of hair and strong jawline looks faintly familiar. Made in Switzerland in 1921, the metal doll is an early prototype for Action Man; his khaki-clad neighbours—one of whom uses a crutch—guard a sign saying ‘minefield’. Above them balances a large rocking horse; with its peeling paint and tired eyes, it is one of the older items in Pollock’s Toy Museum in London W1, known to have been sold in 1840. However, it is not the oldest piece in the London collection: there are wax dolls from the early 19th century and a clay mouse with a moving wooden mouth and tail dating from 2,000BC. Although there are some examples of toys that went on to be mass produced—such as Matchbox cars and Sooty puppets—the majority of those on display are handmade, detailing a long lineage of toy-making that still thrives
