The toys by the craftswoman Yootha Rose are especially valuable, despite their simplicity, because they are made and painted by hand. Some of her works are part of the exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. Rose was born in 1899, and at a young age she moved to England with her parents, where she became a theater artist. Later, she took up stage design and costume design. Rose began making toys during World War II, when there was a shortage of them due to a decline in production throughout the country.
Rose was categorically against the factory production of her own toys and did not allow them to be replicated. She used simple materials - wood, cardboard, paper, cotton threads. Some toys are made from everyday items such as napkins and matchboxes. The items look a little rough, but they are made carefully, and quickly attracted public attention. In 1945, Rose presented her works at an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In the 1950s, she received a commission to build a dollhouse for Princess Anne and a miniature carousel for Prince Charles.
Yootha Rose's period of active creativity ended in the early 1970s. For many years, she tried to attract people's attention to vintage toys, and was a curator at the National Toy Museum in England. She collected old toy cars and dolls herself, which she used to furnish her home.
Yootha Rose's works came to the Powerhouse Museum in 1970. Previously, they belonged to Monica Piddington, the director of the Sydney Playways toy store. Piddington collected her own collection throughout her life, but after her death in 1967, some of the items were distributed to other collections and museums.
Sources:
collection.powerhouse.com.au
