-Cock Robin Junior Savings Bank- still bank c. late 19th century

Curator: Here we have a charming artifact from the late 19th century: a -Cock Robin Junior Savings Bank-. It's crafted from wood and print. Quite humble in its materials, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Yes, the use of such simple materials evokes a certain nostalgia, almost a primal sense of childhood. But it strikes me how didactic the message is through a well known child's story. Curator: Exactly. Consider the context: these banks were made at a time of rising industrial production and growing emphasis on instilling values of thrift and delayed gratification. Wood, as a common, easily worked medium, makes this accessible to a broader consumer base. The printed imagery, the nursery rhyme, it's all designed to promote early capitalist values to children. Editor: I'm thinking about how folk narratives can become such powerful tools for shaping identity. The dark humour around violence and money—who killed Cock Robin and why are we saving pennies? It speaks to a society grappling with difficult concepts they wish to distill for their young in small doses. The idea of investment, of profit... encoded in this nursery rhyme format... interesting. Curator: Indeed. Notice the wear and tear? These banks weren't just display pieces; they were meant to be used, handled. Each scratch, each faded print line, tells a small story about labour of producing wealth, of how value itself is constructed through repeated material interactions. One can picture small hands depositing coins into these humble banks. Editor: It feels poignant, this simple wooden box becoming a symbol of cultural values. As our relationship with money has drastically shifted to being overwhelmingly digital and virtual, so much has been lost, even down to the ability to teach the next generations in such tangible ways. A tool becomes an heirloom. Curator: Precisely, and a mirror reflecting both societal aspiration and lived experience. Editor: Yes, that is such a helpful context. Thank you.