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Golly
1963-1965 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
1. all in one stuffed body with different coloured cloth parts. The head is black with fuzzy wool hair around the edge, orange and white smiling mouth and white and black plastic eyes. The body has orange legs
ending in black and white feet (denoting spats), yellow waistcoat, orange and white striped arms ending in white hands (like mittens with thumbs only. There is a red plastic button sewn in the centre of the waistcoat. Maker's label is sewn into the back centre seam.
2. jacket, blue felt with two yellow plastic buttons
ending in black and white feet (denoting spats), yellow waistcoat, orange and white striped arms ending in white hands (like mittens with thumbs only. There is a red plastic button sewn in the centre of the waistcoat. Maker's label is sewn into the back centre seam.
2. jacket, blue felt with two yellow plastic buttons
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | stuffed cloth, felt, plastic |
| Brief description | Stuffed fabric golly made in England by Deans Childsplay Toys in the early 1960s |
| Physical description | 1. all in one stuffed body with different coloured cloth parts. The head is black with fuzzy wool hair around the edge, orange and white smiling mouth and white and black plastic eyes. The body has orange legs ending in black and white feet (denoting spats), yellow waistcoat, orange and white striped arms ending in white hands (like mittens with thumbs only. There is a red plastic button sewn in the centre of the waistcoat. Maker's label is sewn into the back centre seam. 2. jacket, blue felt with two yellow plastic buttons |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | CHILDS PLAY TOY
with the logo of two dogs fighting over a book. (label sewn into back seam of toy). |
| Credit line | Donated by Catherine Pearson |
| Object history | 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. The golly belonged to the donor; born 20/08/1963 and brought up in London. She was given the toy by a family friend when she was quite young and it was simply known as GOLLY. |
| Production | Dean's Childsplay Toys Ltd was the name of the company from the late 1950s to about 1980 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.5:1-1995 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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