Steiff, Steiff teddy bear, Steiff bear, Bing bear, Bing Teddy Bear, Bing, Farnell, J.K. Farnell, Farnell Teddy Bear, Farnell Bear, Merrythought, Merrythought teddy bear, Merryweather, Merrythought bear, Chiltern teddy bear, Chiltern, Chiltern Bear, Teddy Toy Company, Terry, Harwin, Schuco, Colonel Bob Henderson, Good Bears of the World, Peter Bull, Theodore, Elliot, Alfonzo, Teddy Girl, World Record, Peter Rabbit, Daniel Agnew, Christie's, Christies, Leyla Maniera, Einco, kapok, excelsior, wood wool, straw, squeaker, growler, mohair, Pat and Nora, Hermann, Sue Pearson, Pam Hebbs, Leanda Harwood, Ian Pout, Bonhams, Bonham's, Antique Teddy Bear, Golly, Gollywogg, Gollywog, Golliwog, Florence K Upton, Teddy Tail, Rupert Bear, Paddington, Sooty, Sweep, Soo, Nookie, Hugglets, daniel agnew 1863 Brothers Ignaz and Adolph Bing founded the Company and it was based in Nuremberg, selling toys and kitchenware. A factory, known as Bing Brothers Nuremberg Toy Factory, was established in the 1880's to manufacture tin toys. 1890 Established a factory in Grunhain, Saxony 1895 Became a public limited company, the name changed to Nuremberg Metal and Enamelware Works. Adolph Bing left the company and Ignaz became chairman. 1907 Bing began producing plush toys including teddy bears. 1908 Legal battle with Steiff re the "button in ear" trademark 1909-1912 Neinrich Muller, the founder of Schuco, joined the company. He was trained by Kunz Weidlich the designer. 1911 Bing Ltd, operating from East London, became sole agents in Britain (as part of Eisenmann & Co Ltd). A lawsuit with Steiff began, which was to last until 1915, re the somersaulting bear 1917 Agents Concentra specialise in marketing all Bing products under different brand names. Bing was the only toy manufacturer to continue production during WWI. 1918 Ignaz Bing died 1919 L Rees & Co., based in London, act as distribution agents of Bing toys in Britain and Commonwealth. Stephen Bing, Ignaz's son, becomes director general and the company name was changed to Bing Works. 1927 Stephen Bing and all other family members left the company. A variety of reasons are offered ranging from boardroom disagreements to the treatment of Jews (the Bing family were Jewish) by Adolf Hitler. 1932 The company went into receivership, equipment was auctioned and parts are sold off, some to rivals such as Karl Bub another Nuremberg toy company, Fleischmann and Schuco. 1992 - 1994 In May 1992 Eric Kluge was in the USA on business. He was contacted by an elderly lady called Sarah Neumann, re some teddy bear patterns she owned. That lady was born Sarah Bing. Eric took the patterns and as soon as he returned to Germany he registered the logo and the company "Bing". In 1994 Gebruder Bing was reborn. Acrylic A synthetically produced fibre. Acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate) was developed after World War II for use in Courtelle, Dralon and other synthetic fabrics. The resultant fabric woven from acrylic fibres is very soft and warm. Alpaca The alpaca is a small llama. It's long, strong, fleece produces a soft and woolly fabric. Arctophile Someone who loves and usually collects teddy bears Artificial Silk (Art-silk) A man-made fibre, invented in the 1880's and first used in the toy industry at the end of the 1920's. B Boot Buttons In the 19th and early 20th centuries shoes and boots were usually fastened with black buttons (made from wood pulp). These were often used as eyes in early teddy bears. Burlap Also known as hessian. A course fabric fabric woven from jute and used for some early stuffed toys. C Center Seam When used in relation to a rare, early Steiff bear. To use material economically Steiff cut six teddy bear heads from one length of mohair, a seventh head was then cut in two pieces and sewn together forming a seam down the centre of the bears face. Cotter Pin A two-pronged metal pin used to fasten the disc joints which allow teddy to move his arms, legs and head. Cotton Waste The waste from the manufacture of cotton was used as stuffing during World War II when other materials, such as kapok, were not available. This waste is also known as "sub". E Excelsior US trade name for wood shavings or wood wool which was used to stuff teddy bears. F Fairy Foam Foam used as a stuffing material during 1960's. Felt A matted woollen fabric frequently used for teddy's paw and foot pads. G Golden Teddy Awards The number of bear artists increased significantly during the 1980's and 1990's. Their contribution was recognised when the Golden Teddy awards were introduced in 1987. Robin Rive has been nominated for and received a number of Golden Teddy awards. Growler A "voice-box" usually fitted in teddy's tummy but sometimes in his side which is activated by tipping him forward or backwards. H Hump A pronounced lump on the back of a bear, first used by Steiff but copied by other manufacturers. Most often seen on early bears. Hug A collection of teddy bears. I Inset Muzzle The bears nose and muzzle is made from a separate, often different, piece of fabric to the rest of the head/face. J Jointed Generally discs are inserted at each arm, leg and at the neck allowing movement. In the late 1950's bears without joints were produced which allowed them to be easily washed. K Kapok A light-weight, hygenic and soft stuffing material mainly used in the 1920's and 1930's L Layaway A service whereby, once a deposit has been paid, the seller will keep an item for an agreed period of time during which the balance is paid by instalments. Tell me more about layaway M Mohair Originally yarn or cloth made from the fleece of an angora goat but today it may be a wool and cotton mix. P Pads "Paw" pads are those at the end of the "arms" of a teddy bears. "Foot" pads are those on the soles of the feet. Pads are usually made of felt, but may also be made of rexine (for teddy bears made in 1940's or later), leather or cotton. R Replica In the 1980's manufacturers, such as Steiff, began making copies of their antique teddy bears. Often replica's are made in limited editions. Rexine The tradename for a leathercloth made by covering a woven cloth with cellulose nitrate. Used on British bear paw and foot pads from the late 1930's to early 1960's. Rod Bear A bear with metal joints that run through the body. Introduced by Steiff and used in their very early bears. S Sealing Wax Used to make moulded noses for teddy bears. Stick bear An inexpensive bear, with thin limbs, made in the USA. Squeaker A voice box, frequently fitted in teddy's tummy, which emits a sound when pressed. Sub Stuffing made from cotton waste and used during World War II when other materials, such as kapok, were not available. Swing Tag A thin card tag attached to a bear or hung around it's neck to identify the manufacturer. These were usually removed by parents. See the Chad Valley section of our Encyclopaedia for some examples. T Toby Award The number of bear artists increased significantly during the 1980's and 1990's. Their work was recognised when the Toby (Teddy Bear of the Year) was introduced in 1990. U Ultrasuede US tradename for a soft, synthetic fabric, developed in late 1960's/early 1970's, similar to suede. W Webbed Claws The four or five large stitches which form the paw claws are linked with a strand of thread to produce a webbed effect. This was used by Farnell and Merrythought in 1930's. Wood-wool Long, very fine wood shavings used for stuffing teddy bears. Also known as excelsior. Makes a scrunching sound when pressed. In America, the teddy bear, according to tradition, got its start with a cartoon. The cartoon, drawn by Clifford Berryman and titled "Drawing the Line in Mississippi," showed President Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a baby bear. According to this often told tale, Roosevelt had traveled to Mississippi to help settle a border dispute between that state and Louisiana, and his hosts, wanting to please this avid hunter, took him bear hunting. The hunting was so poor that someone finally captured a bear and invited Roosevelt to shoot. Roosevelt's refusal to fire at such a helpless target inspired Berryman to draw his cartoon with its play on the two ways Roosevelt was drawing a line—settling a border dispute and refusing to shoot a captive animal. The cartoon appeared in a panel of cartoons drawn by Cliffored Berryman inThe Washington Post on November 16, 1902. It caused an immediate sensation and was reprinted widely. Apparently this cartoon even inspired Morris and Rose Michtom of Brooklyn, New York, to make a bear in honor of the president's actions. The Michtoms named their bear "Teddy's Bear" and placed it in the window of their candy and stationery store. Instead of looking fierce and standing on all four paws like previous toy bears, the Michtoms' bear looked sweet, innocent, and upright, like the bear in Berryman's cartoon. Perhaps that's why "Teddy's Bear" made a hit with the buying public. In fact, the demand was so strong that the Michtoms, with the help of a wholesale firm called Butler Brothers, founded the first teddy bear manufacturer in the United States, the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. Meanwhile, across the ocean in Germany, Richard Steiff was working for his aunt, Margarete Steiff, in her stuffed toy business. Richard, a former art student, often visited the Stuttgart Zoo to sketch animals, particularly the bear cubs. In 1902, the same year the Michtoms made "Teddy's Bear," the Steiff firm made a prototype of a toy bear based on Richard's designs. Though both the Michtoms and Steiff were working on bears at the same time, certainly neither knew, at a time of poor transatlantic communication, about the other's creation. Besides, the Michtoms' bear resembled the wide-eyed cub in the Berryman cartoon, while the Steiff bear, with its humped back and long snout, looked more like a real bear cub. A few months later, in March 1903, at the Leipzig Toy Fair, Steiff introduced its first bear—Baer 55PB. The European buyers showed little interest, but an American toy buyer, who was aware of the growing interest in "Teddy's bears" in the States, ordered 3000. In America, people were beginning to get teddy bear fever, and Steiff was in the right place at the right time.The Teddy Bear Craze By 1906, the teddy bear craze was in full swing in the United States. The excitement probably compared to the frenzy for Cabbage Patch dolls in the 1980s and Beanie Babies in the 1990s. Society ladies carried their teddies everywhere, and children had their pictures taken with their teddy bears. President Roosevelt, after using a bear as a mascot in his re-election bid, was serving his second term. Seymour Eaton, an educator and a newspaper columnist, was writing a series of children's books about the adventures of The Roosevelt Bears, and another American, composer J.K. Bratton, wrote "The Teddy Bear Two Step." That song would become, with the addition of words,"The Teddy Bear's Picnic." Meanwhile, American manufacturers were turning out bears in all colors and all kinds, from teddy bears on roller skates to teddy bears with electric eyes. "Teddy bear," without the apostrophe and the s, became the accepted term for this plush bruin, first appearing in print in the October 1906 issue of Playthings Magazine. Even Steiff, a German company, adopted the name for its bears. Steiff and Ideal were no longer the only players in the teddy bear business. In America, dozens of competitors sprang up. Almost all of these very early companies didn't last, with the notable exception of the Gund Manufacturing Corporation. Gund made its first bears in 1906 and is still making bears today. American teddy bear companies faced stiff competition from all the teddy bears imported from Germany, and many of the U.S. companies didn't last long. In Germany, toymaking was an old and established industry, and many German firms, such as Bing, Schuco, and Hermann, joined with Steiff in making fine teddy bears. In England, The J.K. Farnell & Co. got its start; in fact, the original Winnie the Pooh was a Farnell bear Christopher Robin Milne received as a first birthday present from his mother in 1921. Five years later, his father, A.A. Milne, would begin to publish the Winnie-the-Pooh books about his son Christopher's adventures with his bear and his other stuffed animals. Today you can see the original toys that inspired the Winnie-the-Pooh books on permanent display in the Central Children's Room of the Donnell Branch of the New York Public Library in New York City, while the Pooh books themselves are as popular as ever.More Great Years: The 1920s - 1940s With the exception of the four years when World War I raged in Europe, the next 25 years were kind to the teddy bear. Mass production had not yet taken over the teddy bear world, and people still preferred to buy high quality, hand-finished teddy bears. Because World War I interrupted the flow of teddy bears from Germany, new teddy bear industries developed outside Germany. Chad Valley, Chiltern, and Dean's joined Farnell in England; Pintel and Fadap were begun in France, and Joy Toys in Australia. The bears themselves changed, too. Boot-button eyes were replaced by glass, and excelsior stuffing was replaced by a softer alternative, kapok. The United States was relatively untouched by the war, and its teddy bear industry continued to grow. For example, the Knickerbocker Toy Company got its start in 1920 and continues to make teddy bears today. Nine years later, though, the U.S. was hit by the Depression, and most teddy bear companies were hurt by the financial crisis. After 1929, many American companies either found cheaper ways to produce bears, or they closed. In the 1920s and 30s, musical bears and mechanical bears were very popular, and they were produced all over the world. Perhaps the most noteworthy manufacturers of these novelty bears were Schuco and Bing. These two German companies made bears that walked, danced, played ball, and even turned somersaults. But the outbreak of World War II in 1939 stopped the fun. Instead of making teddy bears, the world's workers and factories were needed for the war effort. Some companies closed and never reopened.The Lean Years: The 1950s - 1970s While traditional teddy bear companies had always prided themselves on quality hand-finishing and had always used natural fibers to make their bears, all that changed after World War II. Fueled by a desire for washable toys, synthetic fibers were all the rage in the post-War years. Buyers liked the idea of washable toys, so bears were made from nylon or acrylic plush, and had plastic eyes and foam rubber stuffing. While traditional teddy bear companies could adapt to this change in materials, they were not prepared to compete against the flood of much cheaper, mass-produced teddy bears coming from eastern Asia. Even the old, well-established companies were hurt by the onslaught of inexpensive teddy bears from the Far East. The Teddy Bear's Comeback: The Present Strangely enough, the comeback of the teddy after years of mass-production was triggered, not by a bear maker, but by an actor. On television, British actor Peter Bull openly expressed his love for teddy bears and his belief in the teddy bear's importance in the emotional life of adults. After receiving 2000 letters in response to his public confession, Peter realized he wasn't alone. In 1969, inspired by this response, he wrote a book about his lifelong affection for teddy bears, Bear with Me, later called The Teddy Bear Book. His book struck an emotional chord in thousands who also believed in the importance of teddy bears. Without intending to, Bull created an ideal climate for the teddy bear's resurgence. The teddy bear began to regain its popularity, not so much as a children's toy, but as a collectible for adults. In 1974, Beverly Port, an American dollmaker who also loved making teddy bears, dared to take a teddy bear she made to a doll show. At the show, she presented Theodore B. Bear holding the hand of one of her dolls. The next year, Beverly presented a slide show she had created about teddy bears for the United Federation of Doll Clubs. That show quickly became a sensation. Other people, first in the United States and then all over world, caught Beverly's affection for the teddy bear. They, too, began applying their talents to designing and making teddy bears. One by one, and by hand, teddy bear artistry was born with Beverly, who coined the term "teddy bear artist," often cited as the mother of teddy bear artistry. Today thousands of teddy bears artists, often working from their homes all over the world, create soft sculpture teddy bear art for eager collectors. Artist bears also set the stage for a new kind of manufactured bear, the artist-designed manufactured bear. Today artist-designed manufactured bears are offered by Ganz, Gund, Dean's, Knickerbocker, Grisly Spielwaren, and others; all offer collectors the opportunity to own artist-designed bears that cost less due to mass production.   American teddy bear artist Heather Stanley made 14-inch Simon. This increased appreciation for the teddy bear as an adult collectible has also increased the value of antique teddy bears, the hand-finished, high-quality teddy bears manufactured in the first decades of the 20th century. In the 1970s and 1980s, these old, manufactured teddy bears began showing up in antique doll and toy auctions, and they began winning higher and higher bids. Today the current record price for one teddy bear, Teddy Girl by Steiff, is $176,000; that bear was sold at Christie's auction house in 1994. So what's next for the teddy bear? Certainly our love affair with the teddy bear shows no signs of abating. In 1999, in just the United States, collectors purchased $441 million worth of teddy bears. Certainly, as we begin our journey through a new century, we certainly need the teddy bear's gift of uncondtional acceptance, love, and reassurance more than ever. The name Teddy Bear comes from one of American President Theodore Roosevelt's hunting trips to Mississippi. There were several other hunters competing, and most of them had already shot something. A suite of Roosevelt's attendants, lead by Holt Collier,[1] cornered, clubbed, and tied to a willow tree an American Black Bearafter a long exhausting chase with hounds. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested he shoot it. He refused to shoot the bear himself, deeming this un-sportsmanlike,[2] but instructed that the bear be killed to put it out of its misery, and it became the topic of a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902.[3]While the initial cartoon of an adult black bear lassoed by a white handler and a disgusted Roosevelt had symbolic overtones, later issues of that and other Berryman cartoons made the bear smaller and cuter.[4] A Brooklyn store owner, Morris Michtom, saw the drawing of Roosevelt and the bear cub and was inspired to create a new toy. He created a little stuffed bear cub and put it in his shop window with a sign that read "Teddy's bear." The toys were an immediate success and Michtom founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co., which still exists today.[2] At the same time, in Germany the Steiff firm, unaware of Michtom's bear, produced a stuffed bear from Richard Steiff's designs. They exhibited the toy at the Leipzig Toy Fair in March 1903 and exported 3000 to the United States.[5][2][6] By 1906 manufacturers other than Michtom and Steiff had joined in and the craze for Teddy Bears was such that ladies carried them everywhere, children were photographed with them, and Roosevelt used one as a mascot in his bid for re-election.[5] American educator Seymour Eaton wrote the children's book series The Roosevelt Bears,[7] while composer John Bratton wrote "The Teddy Bear Two Step" music which with Jimmy Kennedy's lyrics became the song "The Teddy Bears' Picnic".[8] [edit] Legend While the Mississippi history is fact, another legend of how the teddy bear got its name comes from the American state of Colorado. In 1905, the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, became the temporary home for the President of the United States and his assistants during a three-week bear hunting expedition. Roosevelt stayed at the Hotel Colorado on multiple occasions after this. According to the hotel, maids gave a stuffed bear pieced together with scraps of material to Theodore Roosevelt after an unsuccessful day of hunting to cheer him up. Later, when he did kill a bear, his teenage daughter Alice admired it saying, "I will call it Teddy."[9] [edit] Kinds of teddy bears   A 1902 political cartoon in The Washington Post spawned the Teddy bear name. Commercially made, mass-produced teddy bears are predominantly made as toys for children. These bears have safety joints for attaching arms legs and heads. They must have securely fastened eyes that do not pose a choking hazard for small children. These "plush" bears must meet a rigid standard of construction in order to be marketed to children in the United States and in the European Union. By contrast, artist bears are not mass produced and are not intended for small children. In fact, most carry a tag saying that "These bears are intended for an adult market of avid collectors. They are individually created by a whole host of artists around the world. Many of these artists design their own bears as well as making them by hand or stitching them up on home sewing machines. These bears are not mass marketed." They are available for purchase through the individual artists, specialty shops, web sites, and at art shows, Teddy Bear shows and craft shows across the globe. These bears are almost always jointed with movable heads, arms and legs. The jointing systems to attach these appendages and heads are most often disk and screw or disk and cotter pin combinations but can be done with buttons, simple string, chain or any other method an enterprising artist may devise. There are also companies that sell handmade collectible bears that can be purchased in stores or over the Internet. Some examples of such companies are Steiff and Original Paka Bear Company. The "fur" from which these charming creatures are made is as varied and interesting as the bears themselves. Mohair, the fur shorn or combed from a breed of long haired goats, is woven into cloth, dyed and trimmed to produce a fascinating choice for any artist's palette. Alpaca teddy bears are made from the pelt of an alpaca because the fiber is too soft to weave. In addition to mohair and alpaca, there is a huge selection of "plush" or synthetic fur made for the teddy bear market. Both these types of fur are commercially produced.   10 modern day teddy bears of various type. Some teddy bear artists specialize in the production of bears made from recycled materials. These artists hunt thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales and trash collection centers as well as their own and their families' basements and attics in search of forgotten treasures to be turned into a collector's dream. Old quilts, dresses, fur collars, coats and stoles as well as beaded bags and garments are quickly transformed into stunning teddy bears. Some other teddy bear artists specialize in crochet bears made out of thread. They are called Thread Crochet Bears. For these bears artists do not use fabric; they make the fabric crocheting and at the same time make the bear. Thread Crochet Bears are fully jointed, miniature bears. Some are even micro, less than 2 inches tall. Thread crochet bears may be made out of crochet cotton thread, Perle cotton thread, Mohair thread, Punch thread, some thin fancy yarn, like eyelash, or any other fiber that can be. [edit] Today Teddy bears have seen a resurgence in popularity as national "do it yourself" chains have opened. Among the largest and best known are Build-A-Bear Workshop and Vermont Teddy Bear Companywith the former being mostly in malls where you go in and actually piece together your own teddy bear including its accessories such as shirts, pants, shoes, hats, glasses, etc. [edit] Museums The world's first Teddy Bear Museum was set up in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, in 1984. In 1990, a similar foundation was set up in Naples, Florida, United States. This was closed in 2005, and the bears sold by auction. [edit] References ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Holt Collier:Guiding Roosevelt through the Mississippi Canebreaks ^ a b c Teddy Bears. Library Of Congress. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. ^ Marianne Clay. The History of the Teddy Bear. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. ^ Theodore Roosevelt Association. The story of The Teddy Bear... ^ a b Gary. Teddy Bear Information. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. ^ Teddy bear celebrates 100th birthday BBC, 2002-12-03 ^ Seymour Eaton. Greater Lansdowne Civic Association (GLCA) (2003). Retrieved on 2007-12-10. ^ Teddy Bear Picnic. Marc Gunn. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. ^ Hotel Colorado Steiff is a German-based plush toy company known for its high quality and equally high prices. It was begun in 1880 by Margarete Steiff, who was later assisted by her brother Fritz. Their nephew Richard joined in 1897, who gave the company an enormous boost in popularity by creating the teddy bear in 1902. In 1907, Steiff manufactured 974,000 bears, and has been increasing its output ever since. The Steiff company motto, as styled by Margarete Steiff, is "Only the best is good enough for children". Steiff products are subject to meticulous testing and inspection. They are required to be highly flame resistant and, among other things, smaller pieces such as eyes must be able to resist considerable tension, wear and tear, etc. The most common materials used in Steiff toys are alpaca, felt, mohair, and woven plush. Eyes are generally made of wood or glass, and the stuffing is commonly wood shavings or polyesterfibers. A large amount of the work is done by hand, from design sketches to airbrushed paint. The final touch on any Steiff toy is the trademark "button in ear" (assuming the animal has one; in any case they'll find a spot for it). The famed "button in ear" was devised by Margarete's nephew Franz in 1904, to keep counterfeits from being passed off as authentic Steiff toys. It was originally of metal with the symbol of an elephant, later replaced by the name "Steiff". The button is still used to distinguish Steiff toys from fakes.[1][2] [edit] Margarete Steiff Margarete Steiff (July 24, 1847 - May 9, 1909), born in Giengen, started creating toy stuffed animals in 1880 in the town of Giengen an der Brenz, Germany. Margarete was a seamstress and confined to a wheelchair, due to polio she contracted as a baby, she started making stuffed animals as a hobby. These toys began as elephants, which were originally a design Steiff found in a magazine and originally sold as pincushionsto her friends. However, children began playing with them, and in the years following she went on to design many other successful animal-themed toys for children, such as dogs, cats and pigs. She designed and made most of the prototypes herself. She died in Giengen on May 9, 1909 of pneumonia. Amy Goodrich, Ireland Anjo Noija, The Netherlands Annemieke Koetse, Netherlands Atlantic Bears, Scotland Becky Wheeler, USA Christy Firmage, U.S.A Deborah Beardsley Elertson, U.S.A Elaine Goodhand, England Elaine Lonsdale, England Emi Etchu, Japan Gaby Schlotz, Germany Gill Cousins, England Gisela Hofmann, Germany Heidi Schaefer, GERMANY Heike Boam, Germany Hiroe Nojiri, Japan Hisa Kato, Japan Jeanette Warner, United States Jo-Anne Pennick, uk Joan Easton, New Zealand Jody Battaglia, United States June Kendall, England Jutta Michels, Germany Katrin Mueller, Germany Lesley Stipanov, Australia Lindy Mullard, British Lorraine Almond, Australia Louise Peers, UK Marie Robischon, Germany Marji Bebiak, USA Mary George, USA Megan Chamberlain, South Africa Micha Parnell, England Michael Jordan, Germany Miho Kinugasa, Japan Monty & Joe Sours, USA Nadia Jacobs, Belgium Pam Howells, England Pat Murphy, U.S.A Peng Peng Klayman, USA Ralph and Gloria Norbury, British Saeri Omachi, Japan Sally Bowles, British Sally Lambert, UK Sharon Barron, USA Sharon Queen, USA Silke Mouarrawy, Germany Sue Lain, U.S.A Sue Quinn, UK The name Teddy Bear comes from the November 1902 ギネスブックにも載っている「テディガール」をはじめ、テディベアの歴史を語るアンティークベアや、世界のテディベア作家たちの作品であるアーティストベアなどをご紹介します。 テディガール（1904年）1994年12月、ロンドン・クリスティーズのオークションで世界中の注目の的となった「テディガール」。彼女は、テディベア・メーカーとして知られる独 シュタイフ社が、そのごく初期である1904年に世に送り出したベアの中で、現存する数少ない１体です。シナモン色のモヘアはふさふさとしていて、100 歳近い年齢とはとても思えません。持ち主であった故ボブ・ヘンダーソン英国陸軍大佐は有名なベア・コレクターとして有名でしたが、その彼の最愛のベアが、 幼年時から一緒だった「テディガール」だったのです。世界中のテディベア・ファンに知られていた彼女は、過去に例のない熱のこもった競り合いの後に、テ ディベア史上最高の落札価格で伊豆テディベア・ミュージアムに招かれることになったのです。 ボブ・ヘンダーソン大佐&