Barclay toy soldiers date from 1924, when the Barclay Manufacturing Company was founded in New Jersey in West Hoboken. From late in the 1930s until early in the 1940s, the company was known as the biggest toy soldier manufacturer in the country.
Antimonial lead was used to create most of Barclay’s popular toy soldiers, which had been sold for a mere nickel each before WWII. Those made before the war were created through hand-casting. In 1935, production of the toy soldiers began and continued until 1942 on April 1. At this time, the company halted production in order to begin defense work for the war.
There are significant differences between the toy soldiers put forth by Barclay. Those that were created early on were thought to look unrealistic and stiff due to what is known as “short stride.” Longer stride soldiers were created in 1936, and they looked much more realistic.
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Those that Frank Krupp produced had tin helmets that were separate from the body, but were attached first by glue and then by pinning. The process was a bit tedious, so the figures that were to come later had helmets that were already attached, which were called “cast helmets.”
Barclay’s toy soldiers were numbered and catalogs were issued to keep track of what soldiers were made in what year.
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