Item Reference: 002045
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Small blue plastic extendable periscope, with white plastic around the viewfinder and eye piece. The white plastic shows some discolouration, caused by seeping glue. The mirrors are also plastic and display heavy scratching
Date: c. 1980s
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Item Reference: 002044
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Small black plastic extendable periscope. Made in Taiwan.
Date: c.1980s
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Item Reference: 002042
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Unopened ‘Thunderbirds’ wrapping paper from Woolworths. The paper is blue with imposed images of the Thunderbirds (Scott, Virgil, and John Tracey), the ‘Thunderbird 2’ rocket ship, and ‘International Rescue’ logo. Only three of the five Thunderbirds are represented.
Date: c. late 1980s
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Item Reference: 002034
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Polysteryne jet glider model still in packaging. Packaging in a paper sachet with a slight veneer for durability. The front of the packing despite the model within and the back shows other model planes from the same line, each a different nation’s airline. The model has Air Italia branding and shows signs it was never put together. Made in Taiwan.
Date: c. 1980s
Further Information: These styles of product with similar packaging were vaguely ubiquitous, though usually featured wartime aircraft as opposed to passenger craft
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Item Reference: 002032
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Two lightplay transparent mobiles from Rainbow Bridge still with original packaging. The opened mobile features plastic semi-opaque horse designs hanging from a metal frame with semi-transparent nylon thread with silicone suction cup. The packaging features a blue cardboard label, with price sticker still affixed, displaying a cost of 25p. There is a piece of regular string thread also attached, though this would appear to be a later addition following use. The still sealed mobile features plastic semi-opaque cat designs and the same mechanisms of the above mobile and the same label but with a pink colour. Both designs are created by the artist Max Brownigg for Rainbow Designs Ltd.. The label features an address on Old Street and telephone number.
Date: c. 1980s
Further Information: There is no record of a limited company with the name Rainbow Bridge Ltd., except a South Yorkshire funeral service agency. 188 Old Street is the site of a former school building which now houses multiple business.
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Item Reference: 002030
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Pink kaleidoscope with whell action. Clear plastic wheel attachment with small multi-coloured plastic pieces within and pink plastic attachment to tube. Tube of kaleidoscope has a peeling printed sticker with the word ‘kaleidoscope’ and colourful patterns, though is largely pink. The peeling reveals a cardboard tube.
Date: c. late 1970s-1980s
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Item Reference: 002029
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Set of three plastic two-inch kaleidoscopes (red, blue, green) and one similar-sized black plastic short-distance monocular. The kaleidoscope each displays a different pattern, not making use of multi-coloured plastic pieces, instead different shaped lenses distort the field of vision. They do not feature twistable end caps. Made in Taiwan.
Date: c. 1980s
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Item Reference: 002026
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Plastic rocket shaped kaleidoscope still sealed in orginal packaging. A Hendrandt Toys product. Made in China
Date: 1981-1991
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Item Reference: 002023
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Red plastic kaleidoscope with wheel action, marketed as ‘The Amazing Wonder Wheel’. Red plastic casing with Simex branding and clear plastic wheel attachment with small multi-coloured plastic pieces within. Tube of the kaleidoscope has a printed sticker with branding on it, as well as illustration and Berwick branding. Made in England with parts from West Germany.
Date: 1975-1986
Further Information: Simex was a West German company that specialised in the manufacture of plastic toys, and by 1975 was able to produce moulds. As their logo is on the plastic body of the kaleidoscope, this is where the ‘parts West German’ mentioned on the label would be. Berwick on the other hand was a popular manufacturer of toys in Britain and has registered trademarks with the British Intellectual Property Office. Simex still operates, primarily creating packaging for cosmetics brands and Berwick is now a dead trademark with regards to the manufacture of toys and to Berwick Toys Company Ltd. has been in liquidation since 1986.
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Item Reference: 002018
Category: Toys and Games
Format: Artefact
Description: Piano pencil case with battery operation allowing sound from the buttons on the front of the case, which are labelled ‘do-re-mi’ etc in the style of the seven-note diatonic musical scale, with corresponding numbers. It is branded as ‘Minipiano’. The battery is no longer functional. The is pink plastic and features paper stick-ons with cartoon characters.
Date: 1980s
Further Information: This design/line was relatively common during the 1980s and usually was accompanied by simplistic music sheets, though this does not survive with this artefact.
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