Golliwogg.co.uk

Golliwogg.co.uk
An independent guide to golliwogs, including golliwogg history, golly dolls, gollie books, and gollywog collectables

Introduction

The earliest Golliwog (or Golliwogg as he was originally called) is the hero in books of verse written by Bertha Upton in the 1890s, and illustrated by her daughter Florence. The mother and daughter worked together on twelve illustrated books, all featuring the gallant little character and his adventures travelling to such exotic destinations as Africa and the North Pole, accompanied by his friends, the Dutch Dolls.

Though the original Golliwog character was a kindly fellow always lending a hand to those in trouble, later authors portrayed him very differently. Over the years he became a rascal, was often up to no good, and even portrayed as a mean spirited character. Consequently his reputation slid and because of his poor reputation and dark colour, he began to be considered "politically incorrect". The "politically correct" reference is now "Golly".

During the past few years, possibly because of the centennial of the creation of the Golliwog, he has again become popular, this time not with children so much as adult collectors and Golly artists.