Not currently on display at the V&A

Handkerchief

1970s (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This handkerchief was created for Tufty Club members, 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. The Tufty Club was a 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 education packs for schools.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Screen printing on cotton.
Brief description
Cotton handkerchief screen printed on one side with The Tufty Club and illustration of Tufty characters crossing the road.
Physical description
Plain cotton square with stitched hems, screen printed on one side with an illustrated image of a zebra crossing with Belisha beacons, and two squirrel characters and a weasel character about to cross, with text at the top and bottom.
Dimensions
  • Height: 21.4cm
  • Width: 21cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
The Tufty Club / Always hold hands.
Credit line
Given by J M Harvey on behalf of the Theydon Bois Tufty Club
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceTufty Fluffytail created by Elsie Mills MBE
Summary
This handkerchief was created for Tufty Club members, 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. The Tufty Club was a 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 education packs for schools.
Collection
Accession number
B.109-2011

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Record createdJanuary 5, 2012
Record URL
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