A Collinson Rocking Horse
A Collinson Rocking Horse
Collinson Brothers Rocking Horses trot in and out of the workshop in need of restoration more than any other, they are certainly the easiest to identify for a number of reasons, in terms of rocking horse making Collinson horses were ‘mass’ produced, meaning that there is a lot out there. Being so abundant, the horses have a characteristic consistency though still hand painted.
They are fondly recognised for their slap dash but charming appearance,
unusual painting around the eyes, in particular their long spidery eye lashes and common use of decorative upholstery pins for eyes, clumsy dappling that
covers almost the entire horse and simple square posts on the stands. Another
recognisable feature is a cut out diamond shaped piece of wood found atop of
each pillar, used to cover up unsightly nails.
The Collinson’s business was established in 1836 in Liverpool. Horses
were manufactured through 5 generations, by the same family, until December
1993 when production ceased.
Rumour has it that in 1851 Queen Victoria herself visited the company and
hopped on a dapple grey horse, from then on Collinson adopted only this style
again etherising the consistency in their work.
As with a lot of businesses, quality is often compromised as we move ever
further into a world where mass production and consumerism runs riot.
Before such times, when looking at Collinson horses we can observe much
more detailed head and neck carving, leather and leather cloth for
saddle materials, glass eyes were used and time was invested in turning pillars
for the stand.
After the Second World War however, as we moved into a mechanical age Collinson
adopted a number of changes in order to cut down production time and keep up
with demand.
Glass eyes became plastic or sometimes wood but most commonly the
decorative upholstery pin as pictured above.
They also switched to corduroy saddle seats and vinyl side flaps and
cloths. The carving became much more simplified particularly around the head compromising
its earlier detail.
When we take apart a Collinson Rocking horse for repair we can observe
some major differences from typical rocking horses carpentry.
The overall construction of a Collinson rocking horse is not the most
robust and certainly not typical of other English horse producers, for example,
instead of using a different stronger wood than that used on the body, Collinson
used pine meaning for strength the legs had to be much thicker than those of
other makers, the legs were never morticed into the body, they were simply
attached into grooves with long nails meaning their legs weaken very quickly,
one of the most common problems we see in the workshop is a sad case of wobbley
legs. The same ‘hammer a nail in’ technique was adopted in the posts, which
again leads to loosening of the structure.
These problems take time but are easily fixed in the workshop, once the
wood work has been repaired and reinforced we offer our customers a choice in
the painting and finish.
Some customers want to preserve the original paintwork and materials in
which case we repair any dents or scuffs to the body and patch up any areas in
need to attention holding on to any original tack and replacing it close to
completion.
Unlike the prestigious Ayres rocking horses, Collinsons horses are
commonly occurring and therefore customers do not always feel obliged to
preserve their original appearance. We are often asked to replace the
upholstery pin eyes for our own glass eyes, to replace the short curly mane and
tail for our own thick horsehair in a choice of colours and to repaint the
horses in the style of our own. Here is an example, it can completely change
the look of the Collinson giving it a fresh and new lease of life.
We are also often asked to replace the vinyl saddle materials in exchange of a choice of our own leather in which we have a varied choice from tan to dark brown and royal navy to fire engine red.
We are also often asked to replace the vinyl saddle materials in exchange of a choice of our own leather in which we have a varied choice from tan to dark brown and royal navy to fire engine red.
Every rocking horse restoration is unique and we can provide a full
restoration service authentic to Collinson or not, or alternatively we can
focus on an area of a horse you feel needs a little TLC.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Steve or Alison here at the Rocking
Horse Works, we can provide you with further information on Collinsons and even
show you examples of our before and after restoration work on these particular
horses.
We can also provide you with a free quote. You are welcome to visit the
workshop to see old horses being restored as well as new ones being made, if
you like, you could bring your rocking horse along so we can give your horse a
proper diagnosis or simply email a few photos to us and we can identify your
horse and its era.
Or contact Alison@rockinghorseworks.co.uk
Thanks for a wonderful share. Your article has proved your hard work and experience you have got in this field. Brilliant .i love it reading.
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I have a lovely rocking horse for sale on behalf of an animal sanctury just like the ones shown...circa 1955.any offers 07855 175984...dave
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