Scooter
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood and metal
Measurements
520 mm (Steering Column) x 70 mm (Foot Rest) x 550 mm (Across Wheels) x 105 mm (Wheel Diameter)
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 672192
Summary
Hand-made wooden scooter which comprises a horizontal base, a hinged vertical steering column and two wheels.The wooden base comprises two pieces of wood with two small pieces at the front and back for the placement of the rear wheel and is secured by ten metal screws. The foot rest is attached to the frame by six metal screws and the rear wheel is attached to the frame by a wooden spigot The vertical steering column is comprised of two short sections of wood attached to a longer piece to hold the wooden steering handles. The pieces are attached by by means of six metal screws and the front wheel is attached to the outer sections of the vertical frame with a wooden spigot. The steering handle is made from a circular piece of wood and held in place by a metal screw. The steering column is attached to the foot rest frame by a metal hinge which is held in place by a quadrant of wood attached to the frame by six of the above ten screws. The hinge is made up of four eyelets fixed to the quadrant of wood and the vertical steering column and a metal screws which goes through the eyelets to form the hinge.
Provenance
Part of a large collection of handmade toys and puzzles donated to the Museum of Childhood in 2019 by Nigel Briggs. They were made by John Doble, father of the donor's wife Hanne. He had worked with Nancy Catford (of the Nursery Schools Association), the designer of the toys, during the Second World War. Together they produced paper patterns that people could use at home as templates for thin ply patterns which could in turn be used to make their own wooden toys. Other toys were made from dowels and empty cotton reels.