Wooden shape
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Stained wood and metal
Measurements
20-50 mm (Height); 18 mm (Diameter)
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 672262.2
Summary
Part of a 'teaching aid' type toy, which consists of a rectangular block of wood into which are fitted six solid wooden cylinders. These are identical in all but height - very short at one end, graded up to very long at the other, and the holes are sized to match. The cylinders (or pegs) are made of wood which has been stained red. Each has a small silver-coloured metal loop inserted in the centre of the top which acts as a handle for lifting it in and out of the wooden block, which is catalogued as 672262.1.
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.