Costume
Jay's Ltd
Category
Costume
Date
circa 1920
Materials
Wood and metal
Measurements
85 mm (height); 25 mm (width); 225 mm (length)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 671241.7.2
Summary
A wooden and metal toy gun, from a set of accessories; part of a children’s fancy dress costume based on a stereotypical representation of Native American dress. The main body of the gun is carved from wood, with a metal barrel and a metal mechanism attached. The mechanism works like that of a real gun in that when the hammer is cocked back, when the trigger is pulled the hammer drops into a small pan to create a spark. All of the metal parts are showing bad signs of rust. This fancy dress costume was bought from Jay’s Ltd for a children’s party in the 1920s. The clothes and accessories that make up the costume reflect a generic ‘American Indian’ stereotype which was depicted in Wild West stage shows and later Western films. Caricatures in these entertainments informed the game of 'Cowboys and Indians' which became popular in the United States and United Kingdom.
Provenance
Owned by donor’s family and donated to the Museum of Childhood by Jane Osgood in March 2011.
Makers and roles
Jay's Ltd, manufacturer Jay's Ltd, retailer