Commissioned in 1885, the armed cruiser Italia was the flagship of the Italian Navy. At the time she was the world's largest, fastest and most modern warship. This detailed, well-made toy, based on Italia, would have been an expensive purchase.

France, 1885
On loan from the Musée national de

Commissioned in 1885, the armed cruiser Italia was the flagship of the Italian Navy. At the time she was the world's largest, fastest and most modern warship. This detailed, well-made toy, based on Italia, would have been an expensive purchase.

France, 1885
On loan from the Musée national de

This large toy paddle steamer shows the extreme sizes that some toy boats reached even by the turn of the century. At 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) in length, Honfleur would have been difficult for anyone to handle, let alone a child, and may have been made as an exhibition piece rather than a working

Toy yacht-sailing on park ponds or fountains is a romantic and much-reproduced image of Victorian and Edwardian childhood. Pond yachts were made in a range of sizes, from just a few centimetres to enormous examples such as this - almost two metres (6.5 feet) in height. In some parks, people

19th-century town planning led to a rise in the number of public spaces in cities and towns. These often had decorative ponds and fountains where children could play with an assortment of toy boats. As coastal holidays became popular, toy boats were also essential accessories for a trip to the

Toy companies and souvenir makers were quick to seize on ‘Queen Mary-fever' helping to spread her reputation as a symbol of wonder, opulence and achievement. This rare wooden model kit was one of a series made by the British toy and model maker Bassett-Lowke around the time of Queen Mary's

Paya is located in Alicante, Spain where it continues to make vintage reproduction toys in the tradition begun by Raimundo Paya in the early 20th century. As this aircraft carrier moves along the little red aeroplanes circle the boat.

Paya, Spain, about 1930
On loan from the Musée national de

Charles Rossignol founded his toy company in Paris in 1868. It originally made small tin-plate floor trains and cars, and later added toy boats and buses to its range. Rossignol boats are usually friction or (as in this example) clockwork-powered and often rock or bob up and down as they move

Wooden Noah's Arks were one of the few toys considered suitable for play on a Sunday as they aided the moral and spiritual education of children. Probably originating in Germany in the early 19th century, they often came with a wide array of animals which could be packed away inside the ark.

Newspapers and magazines, whose circulation grew rapidly during this period, brought the maritime world into the home. They described technological wonders, naval battles, maritime disasters and celebrated ship launchings, to which toy-makers reacted with a range of nautically inspired toys