{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1122530"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1122530/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PH6744/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PH6744/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PH6744","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AV3708","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1122530","accessionNumber":"MISC.411-1985","objectType":"Golly","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Golly doll wearing a suit and bowtie. The upper body of doll is made from stuffed white cotton and the head, hands and feet made from black brushed nylon. The trouser legs and bow tie are made from red brushed nylon, the jacket from blue brushed nylon and the waistcoat from yellow brushed nylon. The doll's hair is made from black nylon, the mouth is red felt and the eyes are made from black plastic discs with white felt beneath.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"nylon","id":"AAT14462"},{"text":"brushed nylon","id":"x29975"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Sewing","id":"AAT53658"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sewn cotton, brushed nylon and nylon wool","categories":[{"text":"Children and childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Racism","id":"THES282155"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":["2025PH6744","2006AV3708"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR028","id":"THES341432"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Golly soft toy","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-racial-stereotyping","note":"Term 'golly' / 'golliwogg'"}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1981","earliest":"1981-01-01","latest":"1981-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Miss M. Hill","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"457","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The 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.  \n\n[RF: 83/1942]","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Robertson's Jam Golly, England 1981","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"text from 1985 accession register: 'Issued in celebration of the company's jubilee 1980 or 1981' ","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["MISC.411-1985"],"accessionNumberNum":"411","accessionNumberPrefix":"MISC","accessionYear":1985,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-25","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":false}}