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Topsy
Baby Doll
1938 (manufactured)
1938 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Baby doll, moulded composition flange neck head with stuffed dark brown cotton body, arms and legs, painted facial features and hair; open mouth eyes painted brown, black and white; hair painted black. The thumb and first finger are separate, the other fingers indicated by black stitches. The doll is wearing hand knitted garments consisting of and orange jacket, a dress with a white ribbon, and knickers with elastic. The additional clothing consists of a nightdress of white cotton with an orange and brown print, off white pyjamas of flannelette with a pink print, and dark and mid blue hand knitted dress
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Topsy (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | moulded composition, cotton, wool |
| Brief description | Baby Doll called Topsy, composition, English, 1938 |
| Physical description | Baby doll, moulded composition flange neck head with stuffed dark brown cotton body, arms and legs, painted facial features and hair; open mouth eyes painted brown, black and white; hair painted black. The thumb and first finger are separate, the other fingers indicated by black stitches. The doll is wearing hand knitted garments consisting of and orange jacket, a dress with a white ribbon, and knickers with elastic. The additional clothing consists of a nightdress of white cotton with an orange and brown print, off white pyjamas of flannelette with a pink print, and dark and mid blue hand knitted dress |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions | PLASTEX // NON FLAM // ENGLAND (nape; moulded) |
| Credit line | Given by Mary Kempson |
| Object history | The doll is named after the character of a young enslaved black girl in the book Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Beecher Stowe was an anti-slavery, however her portrayals of black people reinforced damaging stereotypes that persist today. Topsy dolls were mass produced on both sides of the Atlantic as representations of the character, for the possession of young white children. |
| Production | Reason For Production: retail |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | MISC.161-1988 |
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| Record created | February 7, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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