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Soft Toy
1959-1969 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
1. Soft toy 'golly'. The head and hands are of black brushed cotton. The mouth is an upwardly curved shape of red felt sewn to the face; it has a black line sewn through the middle to indicate the lips. The eyes are white plastic discs painted with black dots. The hair is black nylon wool stitched in a band across the top of the head and feathered upwards; the back of the head is bare. The upper body and arms are of pale blue brushed cotton designed to represent a tailed jacket with white binding tape stitched around the edges. The front chest is yellowed brushed cotton with a single red line and two white buttons. The hands are stitched to indicate fingers and separate thumbs. The legs are of red brushed cotton shaped and stuffed to represent trousers with the upper feet of white brushed cotton representing spats.
2. Necktie, a length of red sateen ribbon tied around the neck in a bow.
3. Card slipcase printed in colourswith an illustration of a 'golly'.
4. Eraser, a block of red plastic.
2. Necktie, a length of red sateen ribbon tied around the neck in a bow.
3. Card slipcase printed in colourswith an illustration of a 'golly'.
4. Eraser, a block of red plastic.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Brushed cotton, felt, nylon fur fabric, printed card, plastic |
| Brief description | Soft toy, 'golly', Merrythought, 1959-69 |
| Physical description | 1. Soft toy 'golly'. The head and hands are of black brushed cotton. The mouth is an upwardly curved shape of red felt sewn to the face; it has a black line sewn through the middle to indicate the lips. The eyes are white plastic discs painted with black dots. The hair is black nylon wool stitched in a band across the top of the head and feathered upwards; the back of the head is bare. The upper body and arms are of pale blue brushed cotton designed to represent a tailed jacket with white binding tape stitched around the edges. The front chest is yellowed brushed cotton with a single red line and two white buttons. The hands are stitched to indicate fingers and separate thumbs. The legs are of red brushed cotton shaped and stuffed to represent trousers with the upper feet of white brushed cotton representing spats. 2. Necktie, a length of red sateen ribbon tied around the neck in a bow. 3. Card slipcase printed in colourswith an illustration of a 'golly'. 4. Eraser, a block of red plastic. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | R. E. Lawrence bequest. |
| 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. Merrythought introduced golly dolls in 1959. Many were designed for the Robertson's Company. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Bibliographic reference | References: Collector's Guide to British Dolls |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.235:1 to 4-1996 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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