The Toys of Astra-Pharos, privately printed in 2007 by the author David J. Booth, soft cover A5 format with 72 pages illustrated throughout mostly in black and white, ISBN 978 0 9556361 03. My copy cost £16.50 from the author via ebay.
I've known the Astra range of toys from early childhood, we lived near the factory in West London and their products were popular locally, yet I've never owned one. They are big solidly built pieces of model engineering, distinctive and iconic, the 1939 catalogue is full of Anti Aircraft guns and working searchlights, strangely prescient of the Blitz about to engulf the nation.
This booklet is seriously punching above it's weight, covering the history of the company from the end of WW1 until it ceased to trade in 1975. It charts the entire toy product range, the boxes, accessories, catalogues and instruction leaflets, with each item illustrated. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of toys and toymakers.
This sounds interesting as I do like my toy cannons!
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