Photograph showing a student at the Adam House Theatre , mid-20th century

Based on her childhood minstrel doll, American author Florence Kate Upton created the golliwog as a character in her book The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls. The features include wild hair, dark skin, large, white-rimmed eyes, and clown lips. It was usually depicted as male, dressed in bow tie, jacket, and trousers. Upton did not copyright the image and it subsequently entered public domain allowing other authors and illustrators to use the character in their own stories. Through this, the personality of the golliwog changed subtly throughout the early twentieth century. While Upton's golliwog was silly and gallant - albeit unsightly – they became unkind and mean-spirited. In the racial conflicts of the 1960s, protesters cited the golliwog as insensitive, which began its slow descent in popularity as a children’s book character.