Object Literature
The photograph that accompanies the piece shows the young girl in the car wearing a lace bonnet, possibly the day she was given it as a present, and the families black cat is also atop, all making for a special photo.
Pedal car history goes back to the 1890’s when most were modelled from the real cars on the road at the time. Since their conception, pedal cars were all kids wished for, but at the turn of the century, their cost meant they were playthings for only wealthy families. With many families reeling from the financial devastation of The Great Depression, pedal cars were often toys for upper class children. Those not so fortunate played with basic homemade ride-on toys. In the 1920’s and 1930’s the wealthy were catered to when it came to buying pedal cars since they were the primary buyers. No pedal cars were produced in the mid-1940’s when all metal production was directed to the World War II effort.
With the evocative tang of the marvellous original surfaces and the remarkable survival of the photograph to accompany it, this piece has the power of an art installation; intoxicating.