Toy theatre accessory
Pollocks Toy Theatres Ltd.
Category
Toys
Date
1972
Materials
Cardboard
Measurements
Contents of Folder – 44 mm (min. length); 464 mm (max. length); 75 mm (min. height); 270 mm (max. height), Theatre – 484 mm (width); 515 mm (approx. height); 392 mm (depth)
Place of origin
Scala Street, 1
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 664285
Summary
The script, scenery and characters for a Pollock's Theatre' cardboard toy theatre (1972). On display 5 pieces of scenery, a figure and the script booklet. In the centre is a theatrical scene above which reads 'Plain Coloured THE JUVENILE DRAMA, THE BRIGAND'. Inside are colour printed backcloth/ scenes of different sizes and smaller pieces of scenery, e.g., palm trees which are free standing. There is an enormous red curtain with a yellow fringe and tassels. Printed in yellow on the curtain is POLLOCK'S THEATRE. There are colour printed characters which have been cut out and glued onto long cardboard sticks enabling them to enter the stage from the wings. There is also a printed booklet of the text of 'The Brigand'. There is also a printed pamphlet of which part of the colour cover is cut away. It includes the characters one has to cut out. On the top of the cover is printed 'A Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured' WITH CHARACTERS AND SCENES IN CINDERELLA OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER'. The pamphlet contains a text in five languages providing instructions for assembling the theatre and performing the play. There are also some large black and white printed sheets providing 'A History of the Toy Theatre by George Speaight', instructions and diagrams for assembling the theatre. There are also several colour printed sheets of characters with their corresponding names, which are to be cut out. Lastly, there are some plain pieces of card, some with slots to enable them to interlock with one another, others are plain narrow rectangular strips, others are long narrow strips, semi-circular in profile. There is also the colour printed cardboard toy theatre. The different sections of the theatre slot together and it is possible to fold the whole flat for storage. Some of the cardboard sections are strengthened with wooden ice lolly sticks. Beneath the yellow striped stage are the conductor and members of the orchestra dressed in blue. Four green columns with yellow capitals rise from the stage. In between each pair of columns are two boxes with figures sitting in them. The red curtain is raised; its yellow tassels hang down. Above the curtain is a bust of William Shakespeare flanked by peacocks pulling chariots. Above them are horses and figures, and above these a lion and a unicorn on either side of a royal crest, there are characters on either side of both the lion and the unicorn. At the back of the stage is a colour printed back drop with words NEW DROP SCENE printed at the top. It depicts a view from a terrace to the distant hills. Total number of items is 71.
Marks and inscriptions
Last page of pamphlet: POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM/ 1, SCALA STREET, LONDON, W.1/ MUSEUM/ OF/ ANTIQUE/ TOYS
Makers and roles
Pollocks Toy Theatres Ltd., maker