Toy furniture van
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, Paper, Leather, Hair
Measurements
330 mm (H)686 mm (Length)279 mm (D)
Order this imageCollection
Snowshill Manor and Garden, Gloucestershire
NT 1338973
Summary
Wooden toy furniture van with a black top, and red and blue sides with printed labels 'Pantechnicon' coloured red, blue and yellow; ’All kinds of removals of household furniture’, ‘By rail or Road Estimates Submitted’, ‘This must not be slung’, and ‘Town or country’, black type on yellow ground, each on both sides. Small seat for driver at front top with metal frame, and footrest, painted red. Double doors at back with metal rod to keep them closed. Drop-down tailboard on two chains. Interior painted white. Red wooden wheels with black decoration; metal hubs. Shafts and drawbar painted red with yellow decoration. Attached by two chains to pair of dapple grey horses on wheeled platform. Horses have leather harnesses with metal fittings. Tails of hair, manes missing.This belonged to CPW when a child and was driven by 'Robert' (Not present 2008) from the toy grocery shop. In notebook no.5, page 33 (1340945.5) Charles Wade refers to: 'Seventh Heaven no.27 Furniture Van - Coloured Red blue & yellow. Pair of dapple grey horses of wood.' Includes sketch with dimension 15" van length. In Haphazard Notes vol. 1, page 41 (1340941.1) Charles Wade refers to: ''At other times when he would drive the furniture van - gaily painted red, blue & yellow, with various inscriptions. Along the top was the impressive word PANTECHNICON', below 'By Rail or Road, Town or Country', then came the unsolved mysterious phrase "This Van must not be Slung". There was a fine pair of dapple-greys, their shiny black harness attached to them with brass studs. The van would drive up to the doll's house, be carefully packed full of furniture, doors closed, and more piled up on the tailboard and on the roof. Robert would then take three or four somewhat reckless drives round the nursery, returning to the Doll's house to unload. Having stabled his greys by the coal box he returned to cap, apron and groceries. Charles Wade refers to the toy on page 10 of Haphazard Notes Volume One when reminiscing on his childhood Christmas' . "A Miller’s wagon laden with sacks is drawn by two sturdy dapple greys". Note - PANTECHNICON - The name was originally coined for a bazaar for the sale of artistic work built about 1830 in Motcomb Street, Belgrave Square; as this was unsuccessful the building was converted into a warehouse for storing furniture. It is now often used in place of Pantechnicon van, a furniture moving van.'(M. Jessup).
Provenance
CPW item 27, this belonged to CPW when a child and was driven by 'Robert' from the toy grocery shop. Given to the National Trust with Snowshill Manor in 1951 by Charles Paget Wade.
Marks and inscriptions
Pantechnicon
References
Wade, 1944: Charles Paget Wade, Contents of Snowshill Manor. Volume 5 Second Floor, 1944, Page 33 Wade, 1945: Charles Paget Wade, Haphazard Notes Volume 1, 1945, Page 41