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GOLLIES
Two dolls lie together on one of the beds. These dolls, originally called golliwogs and
ubiquitous in Western playrooms in the first half of the 20th century, have become
extremely controversial due to their racist connotations. However, it is unlikely that it
would have been a point of contention during Helen’s lifetime.
These dolls were inspired by a character that first appeared in a series of children’s
books by Florence and Bertha Upton, published in England from 1895. The earliest
gollies were homemade rag dolls and the characters became so popular that British
jam manufacturer Robertson’s used them as mascots. In French composer Claude
Debussy’s piano suite Children’s Corner, dedicated to his daughter Emma-Claude, the
last piece is entitled Golliwog’s Cake Walk. At the time, she had an English nanny. The
Uptons’ character was loveable but by the time Enid Blyton introduced the character to
her Noddy series, he had become extremely unsavoury.
Above the other bed hangs a sentimental picture of a sleeping child. This is a
reproduction of Fast Asleep, an 1870 painting by French-born British neoclassical
painter Sophie Gengembre Anderson. Unusual for a Victorian woman, she was a
successful working artist. Although she came from an artistic family, Anderson was
largely self-taught. Her work was widely exhibited, even at the Royal Academy in
London. Anderson specialised in portraits of children and women, usually in a rural
setting, and was noted for the use of light in her work. She is sometimes classified
as a Pre-Raphaelite painter. Her 1870 painting Elaine, inspired by Tennyson’s poem
Lancelot and Elaine, was the first public collection purchase of a woman’s work. Her
art is represented in reputable collections and galleries across the UK and is widely
reproduced to this day. In 2008, her painting No Walk Today was sold by Sotheby’s for
£1 million.
126 FOR THE LOVE OF LIGHT
FOR THE LOVE OF LIGHT 127