- Toy industry
The toy industry was the term used to describe a number of
metalworking industries that produced small goods; hinges, buttons, belt buckles and hooks are all examples of goods that were once considered "toys". The term "toy" was used starting in the 18th century or earlier to describe the industry in the EnglishMidlands , and changed to its modern form ("toy " as in plaything) years later. The metalworking legacy still exists in the form ofBirmingham 'sJewellery Quarter .Although the toy industry tended to be based on small cottage manufactories at first, the rise of the
middle class inLondon created a demand that led to rapid expansion of the industry in the mid-18th century. At this point economies of scale started to come into effect, and a number of very large manufactories were built, leading to the common use of the term "factory ". These factories typically had a number of designers that could be called on for any sort of work, while different parts of the building were dedicated to mass production of different sorts of goods. These early factories were an early step on the road to theassembly line , and an important factor in the creation of theIndustrial Revolution .One major name in the toy industry is
Matthew Boulton , In 1760 he described the Birmingham buckle trade to a House of Commons select committee, estimating that at least 8,000 were employed, generating £300,000 worth of business, with the majority being for export to Europe. In 1766 Boulton completed near Birmingham a "model manufactory" calledSoho Manufactory , powered by water, employing one thousand workers. From the late 1770s, Soho dominated the toy industry in England, with itsmass production assembly line techniques, producing high-qualitybuckle s,button s, boxes, trinkets in steel, gold,sterling silver , andSheffield plate . His industrial methods and metalworking made him a natural partner forJames Watt , and the two – both members of theLunar Society where they met – would go on to buildsteam engine s all across England. Boulton also put the engine to his own use, powering his plants and introducing a clever poweredcoin press which was almost completely automated. Boulton also introduced many of the industrial innovations used today, including not only defined shifts and eating periods, but group welfare andinsurance policies that are taken for granted today.References
"A History of Birmingham", Chris Upton, 1993, ISBN 0-85033-870-0
* [http://mikes-steam-engines.co.uk/ Photos of toy steam engines]
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