Golliwog Doll

TBAFB0016

Golliwog Doll

Children's golliwog doll. The figure wears a red suit with a buttoned-up white waistcoat, a striped black and white bowtie, and black and white striped trousers. The figure also has characteristically red lips and white teeth, along with a long black afro - which has a silvery metallic coloured loop at the top which would have been used to hang it up, possibly as a form of decoration. There is a fabric tag on his back that would have included the manufacturing information but it has been degraded - likely due to persistent use. This Doll was very likely created by the Robertson's Jam Company as a form of advertisement - given that at this time, the figure of the 'Golliwog' had become synonymous with the company's branding.

Robertson's

Fabric Doll

Facing Blackness is a multimedia exhibition that takes the public through the obscure history of portraying Black people from the colonial period to contemporary society. Using unique archive material and visual art, we show how anti-black racism became part of the Dutch 'cultural archive' and our everyday ideas, customs and utensils. On the other hand, the exhibition shows how there has always been 'everyday resistance' to various forms of racism and how Black people themselves have given and continue to give meaning to their culture and identity.

The Black Archives

Golliwog Doll

Black Caricature

Suit, Waistcoat, Bowtie, Trousers, Buttons

c.1960?

35x12x48

England

Manchester?

Golliwog, Doll, Caricature, Children's Toy

Robinsons

Robertson's

Richard Weaver

Through research, Richard discovered that the Robinsons company responsible for the golliwog jam jar also manufactured these dolls as an accompaniment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwog; http://www.teddybears.com/golliwog/direct.html; https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/golliwog/homepage.htm; https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/various-578396v