16/06/2026
🏭 On This Day in 1919, Joseph Lines’ three sons, William Joseph Lines, Walter Lines, and Arthur Edwin Lines, founded Lines Bros. Ltd., a company that would go on to become one of the most influential names in British toy manufacturing.
The firm's first factory was located on Ormside Street, just off the Old Kent Road in south-east London. The business expanded rapidly, securing prestigious customers including Harrods. Initially trading under the name Triangtois, the company soon adopted the more memorable Tri-ang name.
By 1924, such was the company's success that it relocated to larger premises in Merton, South London. It was here that Tri-ang Toys was formally established as the company’s brand. The famous triangular trademark, formed from three lines representing the three Lines brothers, became one of the most recognisable symbols in the toy industry, while the factory itself became known as Tri-ang Works.
Over the following decades, Lines Bros. continued to grow, eventually becoming the largest toy manufacturer in the world and acquiring notable firms, including Meccano Ltd. 🚂
