{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1122446"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1122446/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1122446","accessionNumber":"MISC.355-1979","objectType":"Soft toy","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Golly soft toy with a velvet head, hands, feet and legs, and a cotton body, all stuffed with kapok. The head is made from very dark blue velvet with dark brown woollen hair, a red and white painted mouth, and two pearl button eyes. The hands and feet are made from the same velvet. The thumbs are separate and the fingers are indicated with stitches. The upper body is cream cotton. The lower torso and legs are made from faded red velvet. The toy wears a yellow velvet waistcoat with a press stud fastening, a tailed jacket of faded blue velvet with a hook and eye fastening and red and white braid along all edges, white felt cuffs and a red velvet bowtie. ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"J. K. Farnell & Co Ltd","id":"A10383"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":"J. K. Farnell & Co Ltd, Acton and later Hasting listed as a manufacturer of plush and cloth toys and animals and teddy bears in the 1917 British Industries Catalogue, also in the 1964 BTHA catalogue.\r\nThe trademark 'Alpha' was registred for dolls of textile materials, PAT No. 233,433, 17 Nov 1925."}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton velvet","id":"x30366"},{"text":"wool","id":"AAT243430"}],"techniques":[{"text":"machine stitching","id":"x29587"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cotton velvet, wool, machine stitched","categories":[{"text":"Racism","id":"THES282155"},{"text":"Soft toys","id":"THES274376"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR001","id":"THES340938"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"soft toy","id":"AAT211332"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-racial-stereotyping","note":"Term 'golly'/'golliwogg'"}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"After 1925","earliest":"1926-01-01","latest":null},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs. Duffy","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"432","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Dimension taken from paper records"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'FARNELL'S / ALPHA TOYS / Made in England' ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Label, stitched to base of left foot"}],"objectHistory":"Given to the museum in 1979 by Mrs. Duffy of Sydenham. On entry its condition was noted as 'very poor, all material is faded, worn and frayed, with breaks in the legs.'  [RF: 79/2617] \n\nThe original golly was a central character in a series of books published between 1895 and 1909. Bertha Upton (1849–1912) wrote the books and her daughter, Florence Kate Upton (1873–1922), illustrated them. They based the character ‘Golliwogg’ (as it was originally spelled) on a doll Florence owned as a child growing up in 1880s America. The appearance and clothing of the doll (see B.493-1997) is based on the ‘blackface minstrel’ figure, a 19th-century racial caricature of African Americans. Blackface minstrel shows were performed by white actors and singers, who parodied African Americans by darkening their skins with shoe polish or burnt cork. These portrayals perpetuated many negative stereotypes and were steeped in racism. The shows originated in the USA, with the first widely known blackface character, ‘Jim Crow’, appearing around 1830. Soon after it became popular in the UK, which developed its own blackface traditions. \r\n\r\nFlorence moved to the UK in the 1890s, where the Uptons’ books became very popular. Their Golliwogg character was not copyrighted, allowing multiple representations of the golly to enter the public domain. The character featured in British toys, games, textiles, ceramics and children’s books, and was used as a mascot by the food manufacturer, Robertson’s, from about 1910. From the 1980s the character’s popularity began to wane as campaigners fought against the racist stereotypes that the golly represented. Robertson’s continued to promote the figure as part of a British ‘national tradition’ until 2001, when they stopped using the golly in their branding.  ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Soft toy, 'golly', velvet, J K Farnell & Co. Ltd., English, post 1925","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"The trademark 'Alpha' was registered by Farnell for dolls of textile materials. ","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["MISC.355-1979"],"accessionNumberNum":"355","accessionNumberPrefix":"MISC","accessionYear":1979,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-13","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":false}}