the golden age of toy development was at the turn of the 20th century. real wages were rising steadily in the western world, allowing even working-class families to afford toys for their children, and industrial techniques of precision engineering and mass production was able to provide the supply to meet this rising demand. intellectual emphasis was also increasingly being placed on the importance of a wholesome and happy childhood for the future development of children. william harbutt, an english painter, invented plasticine in 1897, and in 1900 commercial production of the material as a children's toy began. frank hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and was responsible for the invention and production of three of the most popular lines of toys based on engineering principles in the twentieth century: meccano, hornby model railways and dinky toys.