North Shields, Northumberland Square, wooden dolly 5

HER Number:
10926

District:
N Tyneside

Site Name:
North Shields, Northumberland Square, wooden dolly 5

Place:
North Shields

Map Sheet:
NZ36NE

Class:
Gardens Parks and Urban Spaces

Site Type: Broad:
Street Furniture

Site Type: Specific:
Sculpture

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Structure

Description:
The doll (the fifth in North Shields) takes the form of a fisherwomen carrying a basket, rather than a ship's figurehead, was carved for the Corporation by Robert Thompson Ltd. in 1958. It has two mice carved into it - Thompson's trademark. In 1986 the sculpture was covered in a thick layer of brown paint, which has obscured the detail {1}. The fifth North Shields wooden dolly was a tribute to May Spence (the sculptor of the fourth wooden dolly at Customs House Quay, HER 4494) by the civic authorities, funded by the Mayor of Tynemouth. It was unveiled on 22nd October 1958 May Spence's 100th birthday. The fifth dolly was carved by Robert Thompson Ltd of Kilburn in Yorkshire. The two small mice signify 'industry in quiet places'. A tradition of 144 years was broken when this dolly was placed at Northumberland Square rather than Customs House Quay. This dolly is carved in mahogany. She was restored in 1986 {2}.

Easting:
3551

Northing:
6854

Grid Reference:
NZ35516854

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Ian Ayris, Peter Jubb, Steve Palmer and Paul Usherwood, 1996, A Guide to the Public Monuments and Sculpture of Tyne and Wear, p 43; Paul Usherwood, Jeremy Beach and Catherine Morris, 2000, Public Sculpture of North East England, p 159-60; Keith Armstrong, 1994, The Wooden Dolly - The Story of the North Shields Wooden Dolly