Meccano

It has now been over a century since Frank Hornby invented a toy to amuse his sons and called it Meccano, coining a word which has entered the dictionary as a term in common usage and is now known all over the world. Hornby's vision of an educational toy became the basis of perhaps the most successful British toy business of the twentieth century. Meccano has amused generations of children, encouraging many to become successful engineers. Roger Marriott here explores the long history of Meccano, charting the development of the various sets and components, which for decades have been interchangeable, and explains the endless fascination of this iconic construction toy.

Roger Marriott was given his first Meccano set at the age of eleven and as with many boys was immediately captivated by its possibilities of building working models. The visit of a nephew some 20 years later led to a revival of interest in both model-building in Meccano, and collecting Meccano products. Now retired from Her Majesty's Inspectorate and a career in further education he continues to be fascinated by the inventive possibilities of the "Toy that Grows with the Boy".

It has now been over 100 years since Frank Hornby invented a toy to amuse his sons and called it Meccano. Like the product it described, the word is now known all over the world and has entered the dictionary as a term in common usage. Frank Hornby's vision of an educational toy became the basis of perhaps the most successful British Toy manufacturer of the 20th century, and for more than a hundred years Meccano has amused generations of boys, and a few girls, encouraging many to become successful engineers. For many of the children who grew up with Meccano it is still a fascinating way to "build a new toy every day".

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