Exeter's Waterwog and the contested history of the Golly by Dr Todd Gray

The discovery of Exeter's waterwog, a Great War variant of the golly, prompted Dr Todd Gray MBE to investigate the broader history of the character. In this illustrated lecture he will explain its origins and how it permeated British society in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its history helps us understand how the figure can simultaneously be remembered by some as a much-loved toy and by others as a tool of racial denigration. While this history is surprising, it is also nuanced and was unknown until the publication of Gray's book Waterwogs and the Contested History of the Golliwog.
Gray has published more widely on Devon than any other historian, and his work is distinguished by the use of original sources and by it being rooted in place. He has introduced challenging topics to the study of Devon including looting in the 1940s, child abuse in 1624, the rise of fascism in the 1930s, and African enslavement and slave-owning. He was awarded an MBE in 2014 and was granted the Freedom of Exeter in 2018.
This event is part of the Devon Rural Archive's 2026 lecture series. Please follow the signs to the Cafe and Archive upon arrival.