Why was a golliwog on robinsons jam

He was visually crude, with a black face, unruly hair, thick lips and wide eyes. Golliwog was, in fact, a caricature of the American minstrels; white men who blacked up to perform songs in a manner that was itself a caricature.

It first appeared on product labels and advertising material in and was immediately hugely popular. The golly went on to appear on pencils, knitting patterns, playing cards, toys and ornamental figures such as these in the collection at Gallery Oldham.

Despite much criticism during the s and '70s, they simply changed their logo's name to 'Golly', and continued to stand by their trusty mascot. Consequently, the collecting of Robertson's Golly memorabilia is a hobby in itself, with a vast array of promotional material and items to be collected. In a Robertson spokesperson said, "He's still very popular. Each year we get more than , requests for Golly badges. Since we have sent out more than 20 million. Other Robertson's Golly memorabilia includes such things as clocks, watches, tableware, porcelain figurines, jewelry, aprons, knitting patterns, playing cards, dolls, children's silverware sets, pencils, erasers, and, of course, the Golly tokens themselves.

Florence Upton died in aged Her tombstone, in Hampstead cemetery, bears the inscription: "Creator of the Famous Gollywog". But not, alas, the owner. In short: John Robertson didn't have to go to America.

A trip to Hamley's would have done it. Not to mince words, the jam-maker stole the Uptons' pretty invention and have never given them credit.

Racism takes deepest root when swallowed with mother's milk. Generations of Britons grew up "owning" gollies. And, when the Uptons' books faded from the scene, enter Enid Blyton, in the s, with her series of stories, featuring that lovable trio of tar-babies: Golly, Woggy, and Nigger.

The other classic racist text of the high imperial age, Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo, was first published in It too was a first book by a young woman, inexperienced in the ways of the British book trade. Little Black Sambo largely disappeared from bookstores in the late s. Now Golly wog has joined him and, I'm glad to see, Camp Coffee is not to be seen in my local Sainsbury's.

Of course Robertson's Golly was, and is, a racist icon. Salman Rushdie is eloquent about what it felt like, at Rugby, for a sensitive young boy to be called a "wog" the officer class has always relished the term.

Robertson's, Longman, and Chatto are all thriving firms. I think they should make a discreet contribution to the funds of the CRE.

John Sutherland.