I belong to an "Antiques and Collectibles" group and my task this month was to find an interesting "toy" to bring along to our next meeting. Sadly, a lot of my childhood toys have disappeared in the mist of time, probably languishing in a dark loft somewhere. However, my Mother must have kept this particular puppet as I discovered it among her belongings after her death. Whether it was mine or my sister's, I cannot honestly remember, but it certainly still looks in pristine condition.
It was just after the second World War that Bob Pelham formed a company called "Wonkey Toys" in Marlborough, Wiltshire, with the purpose of making novelty wooden toys. He got the unusual nickname of "The Wonkey Donkey Officer" during the War as he made small donkeys which moved when you compressed the spring in the bottom - not unlike the modern version (see right).
After seeking advice from the team behind the TV phenomenon, Muffin the Mule, Bob hit on the idea of making marionettes simple enough to be manipulated by children - not something that had previously been considered realistic. He was a resourceful man without funding. He built prototypes with legs made from war surplus duffel coat toggles and the bodies were made out of bits off ammunition boxes. Although early heads were machine made, he soon began to make them from wooden balls previously intended for coconut shies.
After seeking advice from the team behind the TV phenomenon, Muffin the Mule, Bob hit on the idea of making marionettes simple enough to be manipulated by children - not something that had previously been considered realistic. He was a resourceful man without funding. He built prototypes with legs made from war surplus duffel coat toggles and the bodies were made out of bits off ammunition boxes. Although early heads were machine made, he soon began to make them from wooden balls previously intended for coconut shies.
Despite initial indifference from toy retailers, he managed to persuade Hamleys to let him demonstrate the puppets from behind his own counter in their Regent Street shop. They were an instant hit and Bob later recalled "By explaining how simple string puppets really were to work and showing a somewhat surprised audience their comical antics, the first puppets began to sell". A year after the formation of Wonky Toys Ltd, the company was renamed Pelham Puppets.
Millions of puppets were made between 1947 and 1993 by Pelham and it is believed that, at any one time, there are around 500 on sale on ebay.
One of the ranges they made was The Jumpette Range, and mine is one of these. It was particularly aimed at very young children and was a simple three string affair with a single bar control held by the child.
My Jumpette Girl (see left) has a small round wooden head with yellow woollen hair, painted features, blue eyes, early composite open hands, bamboo arms and legs, with white blouse and purple shirt and blue demi-ball feet.
There is a single string attached to each hand going through the control bar and the head is on a separate piece of elastic also connected to the bar. When the bar is moved the puppet automatically jumps on the elastic, hence the name "Jumpette".
Millions of puppets were made between 1947 and 1993 by Pelham and it is believed that, at any one time, there are around 500 on sale on ebay.
One of the ranges they made was The Jumpette Range, and mine is one of these. It was particularly aimed at very young children and was a simple three string affair with a single bar control held by the child.
My Jumpette Girl (see left) has a small round wooden head with yellow woollen hair, painted features, blue eyes, early composite open hands, bamboo arms and legs, with white blouse and purple shirt and blue demi-ball feet.
There is a single string attached to each hand going through the control bar and the head is on a separate piece of elastic also connected to the bar. When the bar is moved the puppet automatically jumps on the elastic, hence the name "Jumpette".
The puppets can be aged from the colour of their box :
- The 50's had brown boxes with a dark blue and white label (and other colours)
- In the 60's the boxes were yellow and had pictures of other puppets from their range.
- By the end of the 60's, the boxes had cellophane fronts so that the puppet could be seen inside.
- Throughout the 70's the yellow cellophane fronted boxes continued, reinforced with a band of card across the front.
- The late 80's saw a change to red and yellow striped boxes.