IMG 1117-001-John Hill & Co

According to Ghost Signs: A London Story by Sam Roberts "The metal toy manufacturer John Hill & Co. was founded in 1898 by a former employee of its competitor, the market leader W. Britain. The new company, which branded many of its products 'Johillco', was the first to sell hand-painted figures individually, rather than in boxed sets, helping it make headway into working-class markets with its larger, less well-finished toys. These included soldiers, alongside novelty items for major events such as the FA Cup Final and the 1935 Jubilee. Until the Second World War the company was based here in the extensive Britannia Works, in 1932 employing over four hundred staff. The Works were almost completely destroyed in the Blitz but the moulds, a key manufacturing asset, survived. After the war the company, under new ownership, relocated to Burnley, Lancashire. In the 1950s it was slow to embrace new plastic materials, which eventually led to its closure in the early 1960s."


Britannia Works
John Hill & Co.
Metal toy manufacturers

Britannia Row, Islington