Summary

Envelope addressed to Billie Boyd featuring an image of Ginger Meggs with his monkey and dog. Ginger Meggs was a cartoon comic strip based on the activities of a fictional mischievous red haired boy.

Ginger Meggs began life as 'Us Fellers' in 1922, and was renamed in 1939. It was drawn by Jim Bancks, political cartoonist for the Evening Sun in Melbourne 1923-25. (In 1983 the drawing was taken over by James Kemsley.) Ginger Meggs cartoons were published in 'Sunbeam' books as well as daily newspapers, and became Australia's most successful cartoon. The Sun newspaper ran a 'Sunbeam Army' children's club - probably the source of this envelope.

The William Boyd Childhood Collection includes most of the childhood possessions of William (Bill) Boyd, who was born in 1947 and raised in the Victorian town of Maryborough. Kept by Lillian Boyd (Bill's mother) all her life, and preserved by Bill after her death.

Physical Description

Paper envelope with a cartoon motif in the bottom left corner of a boy, a dog and a monkey. The boy has a speech bubble coming from his mouth. The face of the envelope has a printed address and along the top two red stamps in the mid to right hand corner.

Significance

The envelope recalls the children's clubs that were organized by adults in the 1950s by commercial organisations such as print and radio media - for example, The Sun newspaper (Sunbeam Army) and the ABC (Argonauts Club). The clubs ensured a loyal audience amongst children, and gave children an important sense of connecting to a community of like interests and sometimes a concrete connection to an imaginary world. Membership of organized clubs was encouraged by adults.

Other clubs of the time included Scouts, Cubs, Brownies, Girl Guides and the Cadbury C-Cub.

The envelope is a rare surviving piece of ephemera from the time; its original contents are, unfortunately, unknown.

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