Summary

Note: This object includes a derogatory depiction of a particular cultural group. Such depictions are not condoned by Museums Victoria which considers them to be racist. Historical distance and context do not excuse or erase this fact.

A single page advertising flyer showing the range of 'golliwog' soft toys available. Colour images show the 1956 reintroduced 'Golly' soft toy designs, the new 'Golly Dolly' and the 'Jakas Golly Family'.

Jakas Soft Toys was a Melbourne-based company which designed and manufactured genuine high quality soft toys from 1956. Their range included teddy bears, golliwogs and Australian native animals. Jakas Soft Toys ceased production in the late 1990s outlasting many local toy manufacturers competing with cheaper overseas imports.

Golliwogs have fallen out of favour around the world in all kinds of commercial areas, from toys to children's books to foodstuffs as they as they are inherently racist.

Physical Description

A single page A4 size colour photocopy of an advertising flyer with three images of the range of 'golliwog' soft toys available. One image shows the 're-introduced 1956 Golly' featuring a large and small 'golly' design with a black face, red mouth and eyebrows and fluffy black hair, hands and feet. The larger doll is wearing a red gingham checked shirt with a yellow vest and red pants and the smaller doll is wearing a red gingham shirt and red pants. A second image shows a new female 'golly' design with large red lips, a black face and body, wearing a multi-coloured dress with an abstract pattern, a matching bow in hair with white gloves and white shoes. The third images shows the 'Jakas Golly Family' with a new adult male design with a black face and large red lips, dressed in a white shirt, white gloves, black bow tie, multi-coloured jacket with an abstract pattern, black pants and black and white shoes. The new female 'golly' doll and the two 1956 'golly' designs are also in this image to represent the 'golly family'. 'Jakas Soft Toys' is printed in black at the top of the flyer with the address and contact details for the company shown in the top right-hand corner.

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