Woppit
Soft Toy
1956 (manufactured)
1956 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The original Woppit was a bear-like character that featured in the children’s comic Robin in the 1950s. In 1956, the British soft toy manufacturer, Merrythought, produced three Robin characters as toys, including Woppit. This character became famous because one was given to Donald Campbell, the land and water speed record holder, who used it as his mascot. He called it Mr Whoppit and it famously survived his fatal crash on Coniston Water, Cumbria, in 1967.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Woppit (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Stitched and stuffed textile |
| Brief description | Soft toy, Woppit, made in England by Merrythought in 1956 |
| Physical description | An unjointed light brown bear-like soft toy in a standing position with raised arms. The body is long and the legs very short.The feet and inner ears are covered with blue felt and the figure wears a red felt jacket with a small faux pocket on the proper right upper chest and is fastened with two white plastic buttons. The pointed nose and smiling mouth are made of black wool and the glass eyes are orange with black pupils. There is a beige coloured label sewn onto the underside of the proper left foot. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | MERRYTHOUGHT
IRONBRIDGE SHROPS.
MADE IN ENGLAND (on label) |
| Credit line | Given by Susan Day |
| Summary | The original Woppit was a bear-like character that featured in the children’s comic Robin in the 1950s. In 1956, the British soft toy manufacturer, Merrythought, produced three Robin characters as toys, including Woppit. This character became famous because one was given to Donald Campbell, the land and water speed record holder, who used it as his mascot. He called it Mr Whoppit and it famously survived his fatal crash on Coniston Water, Cumbria, in 1967. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.109-2014 |
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| Record created | February 17, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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