The 1920s was a great time to be a cartoon character. It’s the decade in which we first met Mickey Mouse. Felix the Cat appeared a little earlier, in 1919. In the UK, there were many popular strip cartoons in the newspapers, with characters like Dismal Desmond and Bonzo the Dog winning over readers. If it was a good time to be a cartoon character, it was an even better time to be a retailer. These characters would appear on postcards and pin badges, as ceramic figures and soft toys and even as salt and pepper shakers. The age of mass merchandising had well and truly begun, and the public couldn’t get enough!
The Auction Room Report: Auctionets specialist Kayleigh Davies shares her thoughts on highlightes items.
Joining the pack of cartoon hounds alongside Desmond and Bonzo was another dog named Pip, who, along with his orphaned companions Squeak the penguin and Wilfred the rabbit, first appeared in The Daily Mirror in 1919. This trio was as adored as the other characters and inspired this set of soft toys by Farnell.
Those with an interest in military history or collecting medals will know the names Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred well, as they’re also the names of the three main campaign medals awarded to British servicemen after World War One. It’s been suggested that these names were originally used derogatively by those who thought the medals were unworthy of the service they represented. The names appear again and again in the British military, with everything from RAF training aircraft to entire operations taking inspiration from the trio of animals.
Explore the Toys-category for more nostalgic treasures.
Forgotten by most now – and why wouldn’t they be after 100 years? – it’s funny to think that these three little characters had such a big cultural impact in their time. But also, aren’t they just adorable?
)
)
)