A total beauty, graphic design by our very own Thomas Steeles and put together by two shop favourites, Steve and Natalie. Also, it's about some of the most beautiful kids toys imaginable. What more could you want?
The images in this book are drawn from Steve Marland's personal collection and form the basis of an exhibition held at the modernist in Winter 2026.
In the post-war years, as Britain emerged from austerity, a new era of modernist design and educational play began to flourish. At the centre of this transformation stood Galt Toys, a company that redefined the UK toy industry with bold, childcentred and collaborative designs. While Abbatt Toys had pioneered many of these ideas, it was Galt Toys – through its innovative leadership, striking branding and accessible products – that brought educational play to a wider audience and secured a lasting influence on generations of children.
"Galt Toys' both this publication and the toys themselves, are proof that Modernism can be colourful and fun, yet remain implicitly educational. Modernism needn’t just be grey, gridded and grim. There’s no type here so neat and tiny as to be almost illegible. The approach to designing the toys was always bright and bold, clearly playing a formative role in defining each toy. It is by extension that the clarity of modernist, structural thinking is shown to actively inform children’s minds." Malcolm Garrett
