4 minute read
Sio Sunny History
sio sunny
1977: The 'Sio Sunny' Caravan designed by Rokus van Blokland and Corry van Blokland-Mobach (Photo: Piet Mobach)
The History of a Sindy Scenesetter
The Dutch toy brand Sio was founded in 1938 in Vroomshoop, The Netherlands. From 1950 until 1980 industrial and graphic designer Rokus van Blokland and his wife Corry van Blokland-Mobach, a graphic designer and illustrator produced and manufactured all sorts of wooden children's toys under the Sio (Speelgoed Toy Industry Overijssel) brand.
Over thirty years the design duo built up a wide range of two- and three dimensional designs for wooden toys like trucks, garages, doll houses, puzzles and all kinds of construction sets based on the simple concept that "playing is learning" , where great importance was placed on design, shape and colour. Understandably their close professional and personal relationship meant they worked in such unison, that it's often not possible to indicate who did what.
1977: The production of the Sio designed Caravan
1976: The caravan design drawings by Corry
1977: Caravan with teenage doll. The top can be opened and then becomes an awning. (Photo: Piet Mobach) The couple, who in fact worked together for 60 years not only designed toys and games but also packaging, catalogues, logos, the signage in the Vroomshoop factory and at the Sio head office in Amsterdam. Their work was also used at various trade-show exhibitions and toy fairs. In fact many of their designs are unique to the Netherlands and are included in a permanent collection at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
1977: The interior of the 'Sio Sunny' caravan (Photo: Piet Mobach)
During the 1950s, they produced many designs including pull-along toys and building blocks. In the late 1960s and 1970s dollhouses, garages and boutique shops for teenage dolls appeared. The first shop design by Rokus and Corry - a boutique that dates from 1977 – was made for the Mary Quant Daisy Doll. There was also a grocery store and flower shop.
In the 1970s Sio was sold. It became part of larger toy companies, namely Pedigree Toys in Canterbury, Kent and later DCM. Around 1976 Rokus and Corry designed a wooden caravan, the ‘Sio Sunny’ which was sold in 1977 and then produced for Pedigree Toys & Brands Ltd. in 1978 under Sindy branding. As part of the larger English company, Sindy dolls then became part of the stock in Holland.
1968: Corry van Blokland-Mobach (b.1929) and Rokus van Blokland (b.1926-d.2018) (Photo: Piet Mobach)
In September 1982 the Sio factory in Vroomshoop burned down. After the fire, the production of toys was temporarily moved, but by 1984 the activities under the name SIO came to a definite end.
> > W i t h e x t r a s p e c i a l t h a n k s t o R o n v a n B l o k l a n d a n d h i s m o t h e r C o r r y v a n B l o k l a n d M o b a c h f o r t h e i r h e l p w i t h t h i s f e a t u r e a n d f o r u s e o f t h e i r i m a g e s . V i s i t t h e i r w e b s i t e :
