{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O37082"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O37082/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O37082","accessionNumber":"B.235:1 to 4-1996","objectType":"Soft toy","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"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.\n2. Necktie, a length of red sateen ribbon tied around the neck in a bow.\n3. Card slipcase printed in colourswith an illustration of a 'golly'.\n4.  Eraser, a block of red plastic.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Merrythought Limited","id":"A1530"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Brushed cotton","id":"x30337"},{"text":"felt","id":"AAT14107"},{"text":"nylon","id":"AAT14462"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"stitching","id":"AAT53660"},{"text":"painting coating","id":"AAT161986"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Brushed cotton, felt, nylon fur fabric, printed card, plastic ","categories":[{"text":"Racism","id":"THES282155"},{"text":"Soft toys","id":"THES274376"},{"text":"Character merchandise","id":"THES274371"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR016","id":"THES341191"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR016","id":"THES341191"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR016","id":"THES341191"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR016","id":"THES341191"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"soft toy","id":"AAT211332"}],[{"text":"necktie","id":"AAT210068"}],[{"text":"packaging","id":"AAT55100"}],[{"text":"eraser","id":"AAT22508"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-racial-stereotyping","note":"31/01/2025 Object is a golly doll. (TB)DS)"}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Ironbridge","id":"x30259"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1959-1969","earliest":"1959-01-01","latest":"1969-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"R. E. Lawrence bequest.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"381","unit":"mm","qualifier":"Excluding hair","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Measurement taken from the paper record"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'MERRYTHOUGHT, IRONBRIDGE, SHROPS. 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":"Beige and black cloth label sewn to left foot base"},{"content":"'ROBERTSON'S STRAWBERRY JAM FUN ERASER'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"'© James Robertson and Sons Preserve Manufacturers Ltd.'","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":"Merrythought introduced golly dolls in 1959. Many were designed for the Robertson's Company.\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. \n\n[1996/1674]\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Soft toy, golly, Merrythought, 1959-69","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"References: Collector's Guide to British Dolls"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[{"text":"Robertson's","id":"AUTH403563"}],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.235:1-1996","B.235:2-1996","B.235:3-1996","B.235:4-1996"],"accessionNumberNum":"235","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":1996,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2000-04-18","availableToBook":false}}