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The Polyphant

Print
ca. 1968 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Graphic designer Clifford Richards designed some of the most memorable packaging and printed ephemera of the 1960s. Vibrant, witty and fun, they are an exuberant expression of the Pop Art decade.

Richards designed this gift box as the first of a range of children's self-assembly toys made by Polypops Products Limited, a small design-led operation supported by Polycell. These were similar in design, though simpler, to Richards' earlier 'Slottizoo' range (represented in the collection at E.3704-2004 to E.3708-2004). Each gift box was made exclusively for Goods & Chattels. It incorporated a poem authored by "Edipon" (Edward Pond).

Polypops Products date back to 1967 when Polycell displayed a range of cardboard prototype furniture at the Design Centre and then tested its market as Childsplay furniture at Hamley's toy shop. After more work on developing a laminate to provide a scratch-proof finish, establishing Polyboard in the summer of 1968, a range of children's toys were made from it. There were three designers employed by Polypops; Clifford Richards for graphics, Stephen Bartlett for furniture and Roger Limbrick for toys. Edward 'Eddie' Pond (1929-2012) was also an instrumental figure in the creation of Polypops. As the director of Polycell, he set up Polypops Products and Paperchase Ltd., before applying his background in textile and repeat pattern design to establish his own consultancy, Edward Pond Associates, in 1976.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Polyphant (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Laminated printed cardboard
Brief description
'The Polyphant' gift box, from the Polypops series, designed by Clifford Richards, 1960s
Physical description
Unassembled card gift box with an elephant motif, a Polypops club badge and a poem entitled "The Polyphant". With foldable tabs and instructions on how to assemble.
Dimensions
  • Height: 51.2cm
  • Width: 88cm
Credit line
Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
Subject depicted
Summary
Graphic designer Clifford Richards designed some of the most memorable packaging and printed ephemera of the 1960s. Vibrant, witty and fun, they are an exuberant expression of the Pop Art decade.

Richards designed this gift box as the first of a range of children's self-assembly toys made by Polypops Products Limited, a small design-led operation supported by Polycell. These were similar in design, though simpler, to Richards' earlier 'Slottizoo' range (represented in the collection at E.3704-2004 to E.3708-2004). Each gift box was made exclusively for Goods & Chattels. It incorporated a poem authored by "Edipon" (Edward Pond).

Polypops Products date back to 1967 when Polycell displayed a range of cardboard prototype furniture at the Design Centre and then tested its market as Childsplay furniture at Hamley's toy shop. After more work on developing a laminate to provide a scratch-proof finish, establishing Polyboard in the summer of 1968, a range of children's toys were made from it. There were three designers employed by Polypops; Clifford Richards for graphics, Stephen Bartlett for furniture and Roger Limbrick for toys. Edward 'Eddie' Pond (1929-2012) was also an instrumental figure in the creation of Polypops. As the director of Polycell, he set up Polypops Products and Paperchase Ltd., before applying his background in textile and repeat pattern design to establish his own consultancy, Edward Pond Associates, in 1976.
Bibliographic reference
Best, Alastair. Imaginative Toys: Polypops Products Ltd. Design Mar. 1969, no. 243. pp.36-39.
Collection
Accession number
E.3684-2004

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Record createdNovember 12, 2004
Record URL
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