The Tingle Factor Box

He's Kind Of Odd - Gumby

Imagine you are a child living in the 1960s. Your family have finally purchased their own television set and it is so exciting! You finally have the chance to see the television shows you love, but only usually have the opportunity to watch when you are visiting friends. You are particularly looking forward to being able to see Gumby. You love the little man and his horse, and it will be so exciting to be able to see his adventures whenever you like!

When I showed the little green figurine of Gumby to the children their reaction was interesting. They love toys, but found this one slightly odd. Obviously, the figure was of a ‘person’, but he was an odd shape and colour. He was also very flexible, much more than they are used to. The thing which they found most intriguing though was the shape of Gumby. The idea you can create a character from ‘any old shape is totally awesome’.

Gumby is one of the most famous of the early clay animation (also known as claymation) series. Stop motion animation and clay based animation had their origins in the late 1800s and early 1900s but Gumby was the first clay figure to dominate popular culture. Gumby was created by Art Clokey with help from his wife Ruth. Art went to film school in America and while he was studying, in 1953, he created a short, 3 minute film called ‘Gumbasia’ as a parody of Disney’s ‘Fantasia’. The film was a montage of moving, growing clay figures, set to music, and it caught the eye of Sam Engel who was a movie producer. Engel was impressed by the film and asked Art to create a new character for childrens television.

There were problems with animating clay figures under hot lights though and so the characters had to be created to allow for these. The figure had to be substituted for another model when the clay became dirty and misshapen so the character needed to be quick and easy to recreate. A geometrical figure seemed best and Ruth suggested Art start with the shape of a gingerbread boy and see what happened. Soon the character of Gumby was decided upon and not long after, other characters, like Pokey, Gumby’s horse best friend were also created, still using geometric basics to allow them to be remodelled quickly and easily when a new model was needed. By the 1960s Gumby was dominating childrens television and the series continued to be produced and aired for many years. Even today, Gumby is occasionally seen on television, though he is more unusual. The techniques used in his creation remain popular in animation though – just look at Wallace and Grommit!

It's Almost Ancient! Norah Wellings Black Doll

Imagine you are a child living in the 1930s. It is coming up to your birthday, and Mummy and Daddy have asked if there is anything special you would like. You would really love a soft toy which you could cuddle and go on adventures with, but you don’t mind what it looks like. You will love anything! Your friend has a beautiful Norah Wellings Sailor Doll but you can’t ask for one of those, they are much too expensive. So imagine your surprise on your birthday when you find a little black Norah Wellings boy sitting waiting for you!

When I showed the children this doll by Norah Wellings their reactions were rather mixed. Some of the children loved the doll and felt very sorry that it was missing its arm. They thought it must have been well loved though to lose the arm! Other children though thought the doll was rather scary, with its staring eyes and big pink lips. They all agreed the little boy was very realistic though, especially for a doll which was ‘almost ancient’ as one child told me.

Norah Wellings is very famous amongst doll collectors with her soft dolls being very popular. She was born in England in 1893 and was quite an intelligent woman. She left school when she was 14 because she needed to help her mother look after her father who was an invalid, but she continued to receive tutoring. She went on to study sewing, needlework, dressmaking and gardening with the London School of Art by correspondence! In 1919 though her father died and Norah had the freedom to start her career in toy making. She went to the management of the Chad Valley Company, a toy company who had just opened a soft toy factory and got a job as a toy designer. She stayed with Chad Valley for seven years.

In 1926 Norah and her older brother Leonard decided to open the Victoria Toy Works Factory in the same building as Leonards plastering business. They started with just seven employees, including Norah. In 1927 Norah was given the opportunity to present a specially designed doll to the Queen and also had a stand at the British Industries Fair in London. Both of these events helped to give her company publicity and her dolls became very popular. Within a few years the factory had outgrown its original premises and at its peak 250 people were employed by Norah in making dolls. Norah believed in ‘quality, not quantity’ and this allowed her to sell her dolls through some of the more upmarket stores, including the exclusive Harrods! She also exported her dolls though and 70% were thought to have been sold overseas in America, Canada, Egypt and Australia. Perhaps her most famous dolls were the sailor dolls though and these were sold on almost all ocean liners and often had the name of the ship written on the bands around their hats. The business closed in 1959, several months after Leonard died. Norah decided she didn’t want to continue the business, but also refused to sell her designs. She built a bonfire and reputedly burned all unfinished dolls, patterns, designs and even the tools. Completed dolls were given away to institutions and societies.

So It's Not Really The Easter Show? Royal Agricultural Show Ephemera

Imagine, it is the 1960s and it is Easter Time. You are so excited, because this year, your parents are giving you a special treat. They are taking you to the Royal Agricultural Show, the Easter Show. This will be the first time you get to see the show, but you have heard so much about it. You aren’t sure if you are most looking forward to seeing the animals, or the exhibitions of produce, but it will be grand! You are also looking forward to getting your free samples in the showbags.

When I showed this Map of Sydney Showgrounds and Agricultural Show Guide to the children they were a little confused. They didn’t have any idea what the Agricultural Show was! Today the children have almost all been to the Royal Easter Show, but they don’t realise that it was originally called the Agricultural Show, or that it has a very long history. Indeed, some don’t even realise that the show is an agricultural show at all, just thinking about the famous showbags and rides.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show has an exceedingly long and important history, dating right back to the convict era in Australia. In 1822 some of Sydney’s leading residents joined together to create the Agricultural Society of NSW. They wanted to improve the quality of Australia’s agricultural production by holding contests and competitions. Within a year the Agricultural Society (which still run the show today, though they are now known as the Royal Agricultural Society!) held their first show in Parramatta which was then the agricultural centre of the colony. When this show was held it was very important that Australia’s primary production was improved as there were now about 30000 people living in NSW (half of them convicts), and the colony was struggling to provide for them. The original shows were a huge success but from 1836 the annual show was not held because of drought and depression

In 1857 the Agricultural Society began holding shows (then known as exhibitions) again, still at Parramatta. In 1868 the exhibitions were moved to Price Alfred Park and in 1881 the Royal Agricultural Society started to look for a new location to hold the shows. The city council offered 40 acres of sandy scrub land at Moore Park for the low rent of £10. The Royal Agricultural Society agreed to this and with the help of the NSW Government and of public subscriptions, they built the Sydney Showgrounds. The showgrounds remained the home of the show for another 115 years, other than during the Influenza epidemic of 1919 when the showgrounds were used as a hospital and morgue, and during World War II when they were requisitioned for military use. By the late 1980s though, the Sydney Royal Easter Show as it had become known had become so big that the old showgrounds were no longer sufficient. In 1994 the NSW Government agreed to allow the show to be held at what was to be the Sydney Olympic Park site and the first show was held there in 1998.

That's Really Clever - Felix The Cat Wool Winder

Imagine it is the 1920s and you are a child. It is a very exciting day today because, as a reward for being well behaved and getting good grades at school, Mother and Father are taking you to the pictures. You are going to see a movie, something you have wanted to do for so long! You hear that the movie showing is about a black cat, Felix, and you know that he is very funny and popular. It will be such fun!

When I showed this wool winder with a picture of Felix the Cat on it to the children they were intrigued. I had only recently acquired the item and both the children and I were curious to know why Felix was missing his body. We decided to try wrapping wool around the winder to see what happened, and discovered that, if we wound the wool correctly, it made his body! The children were impressed by the thoughtful design – ‘it’s useful and fun’ as one child put it. The thing which intrigued them most though was that the Felix on the winder was not quite the same as the Felix they see today.

Felix the Cat made his first appearance in about 1919 in a short film called Feline Follies. The film was silent, but with his big black body and wide grin, Felix was very recognisable, easy to animate and an instant hit with audiences. He was created by an animator at the studio of Australian animator Pat Sullivan, but there is dispute about who actually created the cat. According to many, Pat Sullivan himself was responsible, and during his lifetime Sullivan certainly claimed to be the designer. Others suggest Sullivan’s lead animator, the American Otto Messmer was the real creator of the character, but the actual creator remains a mystery. We do know though that Felix went through a number of redesigns during his early career. The first ‘Felix’ was actually called Master Tom and he was not the rounded, friendly looking character we see today. He was more elongated, and much more like the Felix seen on the wool winder I showed the children.

Felix was wildly popular with audiences and soon a number of films had been made about the little cat. Indeed, he was so famous that Charles Lindbergh chose him to be his lucky mascot for his famous transatlantic flight. The first giant balloon made for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade featured Felix and he began to appear in popular songs. There were toys, clocks, household items and a variety of other merchandise produced featuring Felix. Perhaps most intriguingly, Felix was one of, if not the first characters to be used in a television broadcast. In 1928 the RCA (Radio Corporation Of America) began an experiment with W2XBS (which later became WNBC). They were trying to transmit a picture, and needed an ‘actor’ who could withstand the heat from the lights needed, could work cheaply and, if possible, was the right colour – black and white. Felix fitted all of the criteria and they made a small paper mache figure of him, sat him on a phonograph turntable and began experimenting. Felix remained in this role for at least 10 years, as the images transmitted were tweaked and changed to make the transmission sharper and better quality.

Didn't They Have Anything Better? Pegmen Tales

Imagine, you are a little girl and it is a hot Summers day. You can’t go outside in such hot sun, and Mummy won’t take you swimming until later in the day – she says it is unsightly and dangerous to swim during the day. It is the perfect time to curl up with a book instead. You are lucky to have lots of beautiful books to choose from, but one of your favourites is the Pegmen Tales. It is such a wonderful story, and you can imagine the little figures. Indeed, you have even created your own version of some of the characters in the book using a few of the dolly pegs Mummy allowed you to have.

When I took this book by Ella McFadyen to show the children they were intrigued. As far as they are concerned, today peg dolls are old fashioned and boring. They happily make the dolls, as that part is fun, but they are quickly put aside in favour of more interactive toys. To see that there was a time when the dolls were so popular that they were even written about in a children’s book was surprising. The books made them rethink the dolls which they put aside and some actually asked if we had any pegs they could use to make a dolly!

Although Dolly Peg Dolls are still made today in schools and preschools all over the place, they have a long history. We know them as dolly peg dolls, but they are sometimes also called peg woodens and Dutch dolls. Today, we also tend to think of dolly peg dolls as made out of a simple dolly peg. These are a single piece, wooden peg with a rounded top (for a head) and split ends (for legs). Of course, these pegs were functional, being used to hang up washing but for almost as long as there have been Dolly Pegs there have been children who were happy to paint faces on them and dress them in simple clothes.

Dolly peg dolls were particularly popular with poorer families who did not have the money to purchase more elaborate toys. Dolly Peg dolls were cheap and easy to make, requiring only a peg and a few scraps of material, and they were small enough to fit in a pocket. Peg dolls did not remain the toys of poor families though. During the 1800s they became very popular even with rich families whose children could invent their own playmate. Although the earliest dolly peg dolls were created from actual pegs, as they became more popular, dolls started to be created complete with faces and jointed arms and legs. These dolls were sold without clothing so that children could still dress them, but they were much more elaborate than the earliest dolls. These simple dolly peg dolls became so popular that they started to appear in other childrens toys, like the book I showed the children. This book uses peg dolls as its characters, telling of their adventures. If you would like to find out about making Dolly Peg Dolls from Roy, click here.

It's The Biggest Ladybug Ever - Wind Up Ladybug

Imagine, you are a little girl living in the 1950s. You recently celebrated Christmas, and you were given so many lovely things like new books, and a teddy, and clothes, but best of all, you were given a lovely wind up ladybird. She is beautiful with her colourful spots and bright red case and she runs so well. You have always loved to see the little ladybugs in the garden, but they fly away so fast, but now you have one of your own!

When I showed this wind up ladybug to the children, they thought it was beautiful. The way it bobbed its head when it moved around and the smiling face were endearing and the children enjoyed playing with the toy for some time. The thing which most intrigued the children though was the history of ladybugs themselves. They see ladybugs in the garden quite regularly, but have never thought about the history of these little insects, or about why they are called ladybugs.

Although we most commonly call these little insects ladybugs or even ladybirds, the proper name for these insects is Lady Beetle. They are a small beetle belonging to the family Coccinellidae and there are thousands of different species found throughout the world. Ladybugs are one of the most recognisable and well loved of all the insects, with childrens rhymes and books featuring the brightly coloured beetle. Gardeners love these little beetles too, because they are a predator for common pests like aphids and scale insects, and help to keep plants healthy.

So, how did they become known as ladybugs? According to the most common story, in the Middle Ages the crops of farmers were infested with pests, like aphids. These swarms of insects were destroying the crops of these farmers, and the situation became so bad that the farmers began to pray to the Virgin Mary to help them. Swarms of ladybirds arrived and killed the pests, saving the crops. The beetles became known as ‘the Bug Of Our Lady’, and over time this was shortened to ladybug. Many ladybugs have 7 spots on their body, and these are even thought by many to represent the 7 sorrows of the Virgin Mary.

It's Very Pretty - Immortal Hat Charm

Imagine, you are a young mother in China. You have a lovely little boy, and you are so happy. You must make sure he is well cared for, safe and looked after. You aren't sure about some of the traditions, but you don't want anything to happen to him. Today, you sewed eight little charms of the immortals onto his hat to ensure he is lucky and safe. Such finely made metal charms, and even if they don't ensure luck, they certainly look nice!

It's Freaky How Real It Looks - Toy Gun

Imagine, you are a child living in the 1960s. You love to play cowboys and indians, and you have a costume just for such play. You like to pretend to be the Lone Ranger, or Pecos Bill or the Pecos Kid, while your sister is Annie Oakley. You were so sad when the gun which went with your costume broke last week, and now you can't play anymore. When Dad gets home from work though, he has a surprise - a new Gun. It's a beauty, and it fires little caps which make it go 'bang' - so realistic. Now you can be a real cowboy again!

So They're Asian? - Dominoes

Imagine, you are a child living in the 1800s. You don't have a lot of time for fun, as you always seem to be working, but one thing you love is the quiet time with Mother and Father when you can just enjoy each others company. It is rare that Mother and Father have the time to play with you, but occasionally, they get down the treasured set of dominoes and play a game or two with you and your siblings. You don't know where the dominoes came from, you don't think your parents would have spent the money on a set, but you love it all the same.

I Can't Believe They Are Still Around - Animal Cut Outs

Imagine, you are a child living in the late 1800s. It is coming up to Easter, and your father tells you he has purchased a present for you, and you must now be good while your Grandparents visit. If you behave well, he will give you the present he bought. You think it might be the sheet of ducks you saw for sale. You have quite a collection of little cut out animals which you have carefully cut out and stood up in little scenes, and you just loved the ducks you saw.