Dunlop is a British company associated with rubber tyres, tennis shoes and waterproof boots. Established in the 1890s, in 1925 the company bought waterproof coat manufacturers Charles Mackintosh, and started to make a version of the familiar Wellington boot. During the Second World War, Dunlop gained a government contract to supply the army with waterproof boots.
Around 1960, Wellington boots were a standard part of a young child’s wardrobe around, but the Dunlop brand were considered good quality. They were seamless, meaning no leaks, and their advertising campaign promoted the boots as “British as the land”.
This particular pair of Dunlop red wellington boots belonged to a child called Stephen who was born in London in 1957. Stephen’s mother dressed him in a suede jacket with a zip, and tartan trousers tucked into the wellies, to play football in the local park.