Wilfred
Pull-Along Toy
ca. 1927 (manufactured)
ca. 1927 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Soft toy rabbit in upright begging position, of golden coloured mohair plush with white mohair plush stomach. It has painted upper paws with an inner wire armature, and long upright ears. It has small glass eyes and an embroidered red mouth and nose. It is stuffed with wood wool. The rabbit is tied to a wire frame which has four solid wooden wheels. A length of coloured plaited cord is attached to the front of the frame for pulling the toy along. He has tied to the neck a circular card printed with the maker's logo.
With the rabbit is a handmade coat made from red fabric, with black fur trimmed collar and cuffs. The coat has snap fastenings and decorative oval buttons, which are of metal with an orange patterned celluloid coating.
With the rabbit is a handmade coat made from red fabric, with black fur trimmed collar and cuffs. The coat has snap fastenings and decorative oval buttons, which are of metal with an orange patterned celluloid coating.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | Wilfred (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Mohair, wood, metal, glass, kapok, celluloid |
| Brief description | Pull-along soft toy rabbit with coat; 'Wilfrid', mohair, metal and cloth; English, J K Farnell Ltd., ca. 1927 |
| Physical description | Soft toy rabbit in upright begging position, of golden coloured mohair plush with white mohair plush stomach. It has painted upper paws with an inner wire armature, and long upright ears. It has small glass eyes and an embroidered red mouth and nose. It is stuffed with wood wool. The rabbit is tied to a wire frame which has four solid wooden wheels. A length of coloured plaited cord is attached to the front of the frame for pulling the toy along. He has tied to the neck a circular card printed with the maker's logo. With the rabbit is a handmade coat made from red fabric, with black fur trimmed collar and cuffs. The coat has snap fastenings and decorative oval buttons, which are of metal with an orange patterned celluloid coating. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions | Printed on a circular card tied to the rabbit's neck is the trademark Alpha Make on one side and Made in 'Wilfred', England on the other side. |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Given by Miss J. Branch |
| Object history | Given by Miss J.Branch in 1927 [89/137] |
| Historical context | This rabbit was a character from a popular newspaper comic strip of the time of World War I. He had two companions called Pip (a dog) and Squeak (a penguin). They featured in the Daily Mirror newspaper. The characters were named by the cartoon illustrator, Austin B. Payne, after his wartime batman (servant) whose nickname was 'Pip-Squeak'. Bizarrely, a series of British war medals at the time gained the same cartoon character nicknames. Coaster toys such as these were typical of the 1920s. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | MISC.80-1989 |
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| Record created | July 1, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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