{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O65518"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O65518/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O65518","accessionNumber":"B.9-2002","objectType":"Doll","titles":[{"title":"Ellie","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"The doll reflects the enthusiasm of her makers, Lynne and Michael Roche, for producing dolls inspired by artwork which shows children and childhood objects. Ellie is from their 2001 collection: the face was based on that of the younger child by the cradle in a ca. 1850 painting called 'Das Jüngste Brüderchen' (The Youngest Brother), by Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen, which he bequeathed to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Meyer von Bremen (1813-1886) created a number of genre paintings, many of which feature women and/or children: according to one of his descendants, he was known in some circles as 'KinderMeyer' (literally ChildrenMeyer) for the frequency with which he depicted the young.","physicalDescription":"Doll with a carved lime wood body and jointed limbs, and moulded bisque head and hands. It has inset brown eyes, a closed mouth and a wig of blonde mohair in ringlet curls.\r\n\r\n<u>Clothes</u>:\nV-necked pinafore dress of soft coral-coloured wool, fastening on the shoulders and at the waist back with buttons and stitched buttonholes; the skirt and integral petticoat gathered to the bodice (which is lined with coral and white striped fabric) at the waist. The hem and the large breast pocket are decorated with three lines of running stitch in coloured threads, and the pocket is also decorated with an appliqué figure of a soldier doffing his cap to a real miniature 'Dutch' doll in a pale blue dress.\r\n \r\nSingle-breasted waistcoat of black woollen fabric flecked with white and lined with a blue and white cotton print showing leaves; the garment fastens the length of the front with press studs beneath glass buttons.\r\n\r\nJumper of fawn and white wool, knitted in stocking stitch, with the ribbed cuffs and welt and the moss stitch collar in fawn wool; the garment fastens the length of the back with buttons and buttonholes.\r\n\r\nKnickers of white cotton jersey; white cotton ankle socks with scalloped tops; brown leather T-bar shoes with buckle fastenings.\r\n\r\nPixie hood of fawn, white and pomegranate pink wool, knitted in stocking stitch with a moss stitch brim and chin strap and trimmed with a woollen tassel at the crown and a knitted bow at the brim; scarf of fawn and pomegranate pink wool with a button-through fastening; black mittens of the same fabric as the waistcoat, with white knitted cuffs; drum-shaped handbag of waistcoat fabric and coloured patchwork containing a miniature 'golly' in a blue jacket and red trousers.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Roche, Lynne and Michael","id":"A6079"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lime wood","id":"AAT12461"},{"text":"bisque","id":"x33597"},{"text":"wool","id":"AAT243430"},{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand carving","id":"x34992"},{"text":"moulding","id":"AAT53134"},{"text":"machine stitching","id":"x29587"},{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"},{"text":"applique","id":"AAT53646"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Lime wood body and moulded bisque head; wool, embroidery, applique, cotton, leather, metal","categories":[{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Dolls & Toys","id":"THES48967"},{"text":"Dolls","id":"THES274380"},{"text":"Racism","id":"THES282155"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR001","id":"THES340938"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"dolls","id":"AAT211087"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-racial-stereotyping","note":"Term 'golly'/'golliwogg'"}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2001","earliest":"2001-01-01","latest":"2001-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"48","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'ELLIE 16/ LGR 2001'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"pigment","method":"writing","position":"Back of doll's head","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Back of doll's head; writing; pigment"},{"content":"'Michael Roche'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"ink","method":"writing","position":"Doll's true right buttock","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"Signature","note":"Signature; Doll's true right buttock; writing; ink"},{"content":"'LYNNE and MICHAEL ROCHE DOLLMAKERS/ Ellie / 16/ M Lynne Roche/ 2001'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"printing ink (annotated)","method":"printing","position":"Swing tag attached to doll's true right wrist","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"Makers marks","note":"Makers marks; Swing tag attached to doll's true right wrist; printing; printing ink (annotated)"}],"objectHistory":"This doll was acquired by the museum for a redisplay of the Musuem of Childhood's Doll gallery by Caroline Goodfellow, the museum's curator of dolls, as her last acquisition before retirement. 'Ellie' was chosen because the inspiration for her design came from Florence and Bertha Upton's book 'The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg', and the museum also has the Uptons' dolls and golly which inspired the books.\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","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Ellie', dressed doll by Lynne and Michael Roche; UK, 2001","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Reason For Production: Retail","productionType":{"text":"Limited edition","id":"THES48862"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.9-2002"],"accessionNumberNum":"9","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":2002,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-20","recordCreationDate":"2002-05-23","availableToBook":false}}