Vehicle
Corgi Toys
Category
Toys
Date
1960 - 1969
Materials
Metal and plastic
Measurements
Horse – 45 mm (length); 10 mm (width); 40 mm (height), Land Rover – 95 mm (length); 35 mm (width); 42 mm (height), Giraffe Transporter – 95 mm (length); 45 mm (width); 78 mm (height), Polar Bear Trailer –170 mm (length); 47 mm (width); 63 mm (height), Horsebox –255 mm (length); 50 mm (width); 67 mm (height)
Place of origin
Great Britain
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 662449
Summary
A group of toy circus vehicles labelled 'Chipperfield's Circus' (1960s).The ‘Chipperfield Circus’ was a real-life touring circus troop said to have started in 1684, and is still run by a member of the Chipperfield family to the present day. The set consists of a large horsebox, a trailer for polar bears, a Land Rover and a truck with a very tall box on the back, for transporting giraffes. All have black plastic tyres on silver-coloured metal axles. Most of the animals are missing. Currently only the horsebox and horses are on display. The horsebox has a Bedford tractor unit made of metal painted red with clear plastic windows, and a trailer unit which is rounded at the front end and has a red metal base and a blue plastic top. There are two drop-down doors on one side and one on the other. There are two labels stuck on to the trailer - one on the front reads 'Chipperfields Circus' and on the back is a horse's head. Inside are four grey plastic horses with moulded bridles. The trailer for polar bears is all painted metal apart from the red plastic linking pieces. The main body is red with a yellow underside. In the slightly domed roof are two rectangular skylights made from clear orange plastic, there is a sliding blue door at the back end, and a blue plastic partition which slides out halfway along the side. This side has doors which open horizontally in two halves. The other side has 'Chipperfields' moulded then painted blue on it, with 'Polar Bears' in green on a transfer below. The Land Rover is red painted metal with clear plastic windows and a detachable blue plastic hood. On the bonnet is a spare wheel. On each side of the hood is a transfer which reads 'Chipperfields Circus'. The Bedford truck is red painted metal with clear plastic windows and a blue box on the back for transporting giraffes. On each side of the box is a transfer which reads 'Chipperfields Circus'. At the back is a drop-down door. Total number of items is 9.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Alan Hartropp in 2007. Toys played with by donor's two sons (Simon b.1956 and Andrew b.1959) in the 1960s.
Makers and roles
Corgi Toys , maker