{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O36824"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O36824/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O36824","accessionNumber":"B.31:1 to 4-1996","objectType":"Doll","titles":[{"title":"\"Special Friends Black Boy Doll\"","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Doll of moulded vinyl representing a Black child with Down's syndrome. Wearing a jogging suit of cotton jersey, yellow with blue trim and arms. The top fastens at the back with three metal press studs and thr trousers are elasticated. In original cellophane bag, clear plastic printed in red, white and black to show the details of the doll and the maker, with trademarks and names.\n","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"DanDolls","id":"A15247"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"soft vinyl","id":"x29571"},{"text":"PVC","id":"AAT14513"},{"text":"CLoth","id":"AAT162391"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"AAT53134"},{"text":"sewing","id":"AAT53658"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"soft vinyl, PVC, nylon cloth body","categories":[{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR054","id":"THES342084"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR054","id":"THES342084"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR054","id":"THES342084"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR054","id":"THES342084"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Doll","id":""}],[{"text":"jogging suit top","id":""}],[{"text":"jogging suit trousers","id":""}],[{"text":"packaging","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":"06/08/2024 Record included disclaimer for term 'negro', which only appeared in the part description. Amended to 'Black' and removed disclaimer. Object name also inappropriate ('Black boy, down's syndrome'), so amended to simply 'doll' and provided more appropriate part description. CW removed. (ZH)"},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Denmark","id":"x28806"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1995","earliest":"1995-01-01","latest":"1995-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"48","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Taken from departmental register","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"on cellophane bag - printed in red, white and black \nshield shape with a doll figure below the name DanDoll\nshield shape with a plane shape and DANMARK below DANSK ARBEJDE;  dhp to the side.\nstick on label - NB5136 SPECIAL FRIENDS BLACK BOY 330503","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"This object was acquired as part of a historic V&A collecting policy which sought to “embrace…the changing and diverse social contexts which have been the focus of much design innovation” (V&A, 2006, p.4). Though the collection at the Bethnal Green Museum, now YVA, has a very different personality to that of the South Kensington site, their acquisition decisions during this time demonstrate an intention to correspond with wider institutional ambitions. From the 1990’s the BGM acquired examples of manufacturers ‘attempting to portray people with “special needs”’ (Accession Register, 1996). As such, we see an influx of objects, including nursery equipment relating to children’s mobility (V&A, 2006, p.37) and dolls representing children who have disabilities or those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. Although aspects of the language used are now understood to be insensitive, repeated here only in their original context, the objects speak to the museum’s attempts to better represent the breadth of their audience’s lived experience. \r\n\r\nV&A, V&A Collecting Plan (2004), 2006\r\nwww. media.vam.ac.uk/media/documents/legacy_documents/file_upload/26983_file.pdf\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Doll, moulded vinyl, DanDolls, Danish, 1995","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.31:1-1996","B.31:2-1996","B.31:3-1996","B.31:4-1996"],"accessionNumberNum":"31","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":1996,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Doll","jogging suit top","jogging suit trousers","packaging"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2000-04-18","availableToBook":false}}