Our playful past: Daphne Miller from Prestons with her family's plush straw toy cats. Picture: Luke Fuda
SERVING as a unique glimpse into the past, a cherished collection of toys some dating back more than 100 years is on display at Liverpool Library.
The Toy Stories exhibition includes a variety of playthings loved by residents during childhood years.
Some of the toys have passed through family generations.
The exhibition features toys that are still popular with children today including Mechano sets, model cars and trains, dolls and teddy bears.
Daphne Miller, of Prestons, loaned two plush straw cats, one dating back to the turn of the 20th century.
Ms Miller, who was born and grew up during the Great Depression, said the toys were passed down in her family because they had "few toys or money".
"One of the cats is about 110 years old and belonged to my uncle," she said.
"The other one was my mine and is about 87-years-old.
"They are really unique. No one else has seen anything else like them. They are the most unplayable toys and they were certainly not cuddly."
She said she never threw them away because they were an important part of her family's history. "They came through World War I and II. It's amazing they have survived this long," she said.
The exhibition is on display at the Liverpool Library until March 3.