Crescent Toys
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Crescent Toys was a British toy manufacturing company in operation from 1922 to 1980.[1]
Crescent Toys manufactured lead [hollow-cast] figures and animals, die cast metal vehicles, toy guns,[2] hollow cast and later plastic figures and toy soldiers of various historical periods. The firm was founded by Henry Eagles and Arthur Schneider and was located at 67, DeBeauvoir Crescent, Kingston Road, London.[3] Henry George Eagles was one of seven children born of William Eagles, a lifebelt maker, and his wife Emily. At some point in the 1930s, one of Henry's brothers, Arthur, joined the Company under the name of Mr. Harvey (to avoid suspicion of nepotism) and worked as a foreman in the lead casting shop. It was understood that during the early part of the Second World War, Arthur Schneider went to America because of the connotation with Germany that his surname gave. Henry's health deteriorated and Arthur (Harvey) carried more of the responsibility of running the factory aided by Doris Eagles, one of Henry's four children. Henry, known to most of us as 'Harry', died in 1942 and his brother, my father, known as Mr. Harvey, continued to manage the business, which by now was manufacturing munitions' parts. At the end of the war, Henry's two sons, Harry and Ernie, who had served in the armed forces, joined Crescent along with their younger brother Frank and they together with their sister Doris, the Company Secretary, held the controlling interest.