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A Safe Crossing

Jigsaw Puzzle
1970s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This wooden jigsaw puzzle was manufactured by N. Wilks & Sons for Philmar, featuring characters created for the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). Created by Elsie Mills in 1953, Tufty featured in a number of books and safety instructions for the society and in 1961 the Tufty Club was set up as a nationwide network of local groups. At the club meetings, usually once a month, children were told stories, encouraged to join in games, read the Tufty books together and take home the message of road safety. This puzzle would have been produced to capitalise on the Tufty club phenomenon, which by 1973 had more than 10 000 affiliated clubs and over two million members.
Although Tufty was restylised in 1979, and again in 1993, his presence in RoSPA campaigns has much diminished over the ensuing years. Local Tufty clubs have been wound down and little merchandise is available on their website, but he is still used by the RoSPA in publications and educational packs for schools.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Box Lid
  • Boxes (Containers)
  • Box Base
  • Boxes (Containers)
  • Jigsaw Puzzles
TitleA Safe Crossing (manufacturer's title)
Brief description
15 piece wooden jigsaw puzzle in box, featuring an image of the the RoSPA's Tufty characters crossing the road at a zebra crossing.
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by J M Harvey on behalf of the Theydon Bois Tufty Club.
Object history
These puzzles were used by the Theydon Bois Tufty Club, disbanded in 2001.
Association
Literary referenceTuffty Fluffytail created by Elsie Mills MBE
Summary
This wooden jigsaw puzzle was manufactured by N. Wilks & Sons for Philmar, featuring characters created for the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). Created by Elsie Mills in 1953, Tufty featured in a number of books and safety instructions for the society and in 1961 the Tufty Club was set up as a nationwide network of local groups. At the club meetings, usually once a month, children were told stories, encouraged to join in games, read the Tufty books together and take home the message of road safety. This puzzle would have been produced to capitalise on the Tufty club phenomenon, which by 1973 had more than 10 000 affiliated clubs and over two million members.
Although Tufty was restylised in 1979, and again in 1993, his presence in RoSPA campaigns has much diminished over the ensuing years. Local Tufty clubs have been wound down and little merchandise is available on their website, but he is still used by the RoSPA in publications and educational packs for schools.
Other number
M 799/15 - series number
Collection
Accession number
B.107:1 to 3-2011

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Record createdDecember 22, 2011
Record URL
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