Soft toy, Golly, cotton, Margaret Henry, USA, 1980

Soft toy 'golly' with a black cotton head and body. Its facial features have been embroidered using cotton threads and it has curly black woollen hair. Red thread has been used for its mouth, and the eyes are circles of black and white. It is entirely dressed in felt clothing: the shirt, collar and feet are white felt; the tailed jacket is mid-blue felt and the trousers are red felt. The bow tie is white, black and red felt. The belt is black felt with a white buckle. Three circles of red felt are on the shirt front, and there are three circles of white felt on each jacket front, and two on the back, all representing buttons.

Given by Margaret Henry

The original golliwog was a central character in a series of books by Bertha and Florence Upton published between 1895 and 1909. Florence, the illustrator of the stories, based the golliwog on a doll she had acquired in the US in the 1880s. The appearance of this doll was influenced by the Blackface performance tradition. From the late 19th century until the 1960s, the golliwog flourished as a toy. Its image featured on toys, games, textiles and ceramics and was also used by food companies. From the 1970s the golliwog’s popularity began to wane as many British people felt that it promoted racial stereotypes.

This toy was made by the donor, Mrs. Henry, who was born in England in 1925. It was based on one she remembered owning when she was a child.

MISC.96-1980