June ’21
Pull Along Toy Horse
A ‘pull along’ leather toy horse, which is part of Beamish Museum’s object collection.
Skin-covered toys like this horse were the forerunners of the soft toys that emerged commercially in Europe in the late nineteenth century. Compared to timber, metal or plastic toy animals, those with a furry texture have long appealed to children, not only because of their feel but also because of their convincing portrayal of live animals. They closely resemble living animals yet withstand cuddling and torment without protest.
The earliest recorded toys covered with animal skin were toy horses in the late sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century skin-covered toy animals, particularly horses, were produced in France, Spain and Switzerland. The largest number were made in Germany, and skin-covered horses on rockers, platforms, and wheels were exported to America, England, Russia, parts of the Orient and Australia from the 1870s to the 1930s. Just as the German skin horses had fine legs and neat heads, similar attention to detail was applied to harnessing. Many were made with removable saddles and bridles to teach children how to put them on.
By the early twentieth century imitation fur was being used, but skin-covered toy horses remained popular until the 1930s. They became uneconomical to produce after the Second World War when unborn calf skins became difficult to acquire and the wages of animal skinners increased. (Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences).
Condition
- Layer of dirt on the surface of the object
- Signs of corrosion on the metal components
- Evidence of tears along the back seam of the toy horse
- One of the back hooves has suffered damage
Conservation
Initially, x-radiography was undertaken on the horse toy to ascertain the internal armature and placement of the internal fixings. Then, the body of the horse was detached from the wooden base by gently detaching the wooden pegs that extend downwards from the feet. This would allow each section to be treated easily.
The body of the horse was dry brushed and vacuumed in order to remove loose dirt from the surface. As there still appeared to be dirt on the surface, wet cleaning was carried out using cotton wool swabs and ethanol, as this would wet the surface sufficiently to remove dirt, but wouldn’t cause damage. The corrosion on the exposed bridle pins was removed mechanically before the pins were then cleaned using a deionised water and ethanol solution. They were then coated with a solution of Paraloid B72 in order to help prevent future deterioration. The glass eye was cleaned using a deionised water and ethanol solution, applied using a cotton swab.
The back of the horse was locally humidified in order to loosen the skin, and the stitching running along the spine of the horse toy was carefully removed using tweezers. The sawdust stuffing was rearranged internally using dental tools and by massaging the skin internally so as to redistribute the sawdust. Excess stuffing was removed and bagged separately. The tear on back right of horse’s rump noticeably enlarged when the skin settled back to the original dimensions after the redistribution of the sawdust stuffing. The decision was made to strengthen this area to prevent further tearing. Adhesive patches created from a solution of Klucel G and Japanese tissue were used on the internal surface of the horse, whilst goldbeater skin was used on the exterior to create a secondary support mechanism. The stitching along the spine of the horse toy was rethreaded using the original holes and the original stitching design.
The broken back hoof was reattached using Paraloid B72 adhesive and the areas of colour loss were tinted using coloured wax in order to blend with the other hoofs. The bridle was reconstructed using new dark brown leather, which was pierced using a needle and attached to the existing bridle pins using fishing wire, which was looped and tied around the original leatherwork.
The base wood was dry brushed to remove loose dirt and was then treated using smokesponge to remove the more ingrained dirt, while ensuring the varnish remained intact. The metal components of the base were cleaned using ultrafine metal wool, with an appropriate lubricant in order to remove the small areas of corrosion without scratching the surface. Once the dirt and corrosion had been removed, microcrystalline wax was applied to provide a protective layer. Finally, the horse was reattached to the base using the original pegs and secured in place using a small amount of Paraloid B72 adhesive.
Stay tuned for next month’s object!