A 1950s Sweep glove puppet believed to be given by Sooty creator Harry Corbett to 1950s/60s singing star Alma Cogan is among a treasure trove of cuddly toys set for auction.
Sooty as well as Sweep, German toys including examples from renowned maker Steiff and a Merrythought black cat which Alma kept on her bedroom table are among her personal collection of 20 cuddly toys set to go under the hammer.
Known as ‘the girl with the giggle in her voice’, she was Britain’s highest earning female entertainer in her era. However, she died aged only 34 from ovarian cancer in 1966.
Her niece said: “Everyone loved Alma. She was a huge talent. She passed away before I was born but I grew up hearing all about her. She was my dad’s sister. He used to play her records at home and told stories of when he and mum went to Alma’s celebrity parties.”
Among others, Alma was friends with Princess Margaret, Noël Coward, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Michael Caine, Frankie Vaughan, Bruce Forsyth, Roger Moore, Lionel Blair and, perhaps most famously, The Beatles.
“There is a photo of my grandmother, Alma’s mum Fay Cogan, sitting next to John Lennon looking quite unfazed, which always makes me smile. Alma knew all The Beatles really well. They often visited her flat in London’s Kensington High Street. It’s said Paul McCartney first played the melody of Yesterday on her piano.”
According to media reports, Alma and John had a serious romance which had to be kept secret because of the family’s strict Jewish faith. John admitted he used to make fun of Alma because her traditional 1950s pop sound was perceived as old-fashioned. However, after he met her on TV pop show Ready Steady Go! in 1964 they became close friends.
Away from the limelight Alma liked normal things including cuddly toys. Her niece said: “I have a picture of the Merrythought cat in her bedroom and another of Alma holding the toy poodle. It is possible that some of the toys may have been given to her by fans or picked up as souvenirs on her world tours.
“It’s likely the Sweep glove puppet was given to her by Harry Corbett though. It’s marked on the inside ‘ATV 138’. He possibly appeared on one of her shows or they may have just known each other.
“Alma was a regular host on ATV’s Saturday Spectacular between 1955–1964 and from 1959 was one of the original panellists on BBC’s Juke Box Dury. She also hosted her own ATV series, Startime, in the early 60s and was the nation’s first woman singer to have her own television series.
“The toys were inherited by my dad. I remember seeing them in our family home from when I was little but I never really played with them. They were kept in a box on top of a wardrobe and occasionally they’d be brought down and I’d just look at them, then put them back in the box.
“Many people still remember Alma and this sale will give those who would like to have something that belonged to her the opportunity to own one of her toys as a memento.”
Steve Fulford, toy valuer at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “Alma was a superstar in her day, an extraordinary talent loved by fellow stars and royalty, but her passion for cuddly toys connects her to us all. Nearly everyone keeps a childhood teddy or soft toy and she was no exception.
“The fact that she kept her toys in her bedroom shows how important they were to her. Some vintage examples include a poodle she has been photographed cuddling, teddies, dogs, a koala bear, kangaroo, giraffe, lion and her Merrythought black cat. The Sweep glove puppet is star of the show in terms of value but we hope to find them all new homes.
“Memories of Alma have faded but she had a huge impact on Britain’s entertainment industry in the 1950s and early 60s. We hope this sale will reignite the nation’s memories of a woman who left us too soon.”
Alma was born in 1932 in Whitechapel, London. She was of Russian-Romanian Jewish descent. One of her early homes was over her father’s haberdashery shop in Worthing, Sussex. At the age of 11 she competed in the ‘Sussex Queen of Song’ in Brighton winning £5. Aged 14, she was recommended by Vera Lynn for a variety show at the Grand Theatre in Brighton.
Her powerful voice, bubbly personality and dramatic costumes – never worn twice – got her noticed. She topped the annual NME reader’s poll as ‘Outstanding British Female Singer’ four times between 1956 and 1960. Alma reached number 1 in the UK charts with ‘Dreamboat’ in 1955, and during the 1950s she registered 23 hit records in Britain, far more than any other female singer.
The Alma Cogan toy collection will be offered in Hansons Auctioneers October 17 Toy Auction. To find out more, email [email protected]
Toy entries invited
To book a free toy valuation, please email David Wilson-Turner: [email protected]
