“They’re useless!”
That was one of my colleague's assessment of the Boby trolleys used in
Campbell and Arnott. I never felt the same way. For me they took me back to a
time when I was growing up in the early 70’s. When Terence Conran’s “The House
Book” was one of the largest books in our house. When, in the UK, there were
only three channels on TV and they were presented by men (usually) with long
sideburns and wide ties. When programmes like “Tomorrow’s World” talked about “tomorrow”
because “tomorrow” was a time we were excited about. A time after the lunar
landing, when three men in a “tin can” were hurled out into orbit, relying on
less technology than we have now in our smart phones…..…and then came back
home.
I liked “Joe” Colombo’s Boby trolley when I saw it in books
and magazines; it intrigued me. It was dynamic, brightly coloured and used new
materials. It seemed useful, but also playful and optimistic. What is less
obvious is the nod it made to the past; Colombo’s ingenious storage concepts were partially inspired by old trunks
and valises. 
I also liked the Boby trolley when I used it; it was practical.
It had a top with lipped edges so that you could keep daily essentials close to
hand, without them falling off. It had trays that weren’t too deep, so that
things could be concealed, without being permanently lost. It had open compartments
so that you could keep more visually appealing items on display. It was
flexible and you could adjust compartments to suit your needs. It moved out of
my way when I needed space and came towards me when I needed equipment.
It has stood the test of time.
It has stood the test of time.
The 1970 Boby trolley, a mobile ABS unit of rotating drawers and shelves, is still in production today. You can find out more here:
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