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Most collectors know that the 'teddy bear' originated with
President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt. In 1902 he was out shooting in
Mississippi and was offered a bear cub tied to a tree. Refusing to kill a
defenceless animal, he ordered it to be released. Subsequently, a cartoon
depicting the incident, drawn by Clifford K Berryman, appeared in the
Washington Post.
An enterprising shopkeeper requested the President's
permission to call some toy bears 'Teddy's Bears', and they proved popular. In
Germany, toymaker Margaret Steiff was inspired to make plush poseable bears for
the 1903 Leipzig toy fair, where they were seen by an American importer, who
immediately ordered several thousand to keep abreast of the 'TeddyBear'
craze. (Previously, toy bears tended to be fierce creatures posed on four legs,
not sitting, friendly creatures.)
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If you're planning a teddybear's picnic with young
children then it's easy to find
An amusing bear, seated on a lithographed tin picnic
hamper, carefully pours his soft drink from a bottle into a cup. As he sips,
his eyes light up, giving the impression that his bottle contains something far
stronger!
This Picnic Bear, made in Japan by
Alps, was one of the many clever battery-operated toys that emerged in
the 1950s and '60s. Vectis recently sold one of these bears, complete with
attractive box, for £90
, so at the moment these types of toys are fairly affordable.
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A similar, Russian-made bear, operated by a clockwork mechanism,
has acquired a barrel of honey. He growls, rotates and lifts his barrel to his
mouth when he is wound up.
Not only bears enjoy picnics; many types of creatures pack
up a thermos and a pile of sandwiches and head for the nearest beauty spot - at
least, if children s books are anything to go by. One of the earliest, Wills
and Hepworth Ladybird books was The Bunnikins Picnic
Party, first published in 1940, and reprinted many times.
It recountec
in verse the tale of five fun-loving rabbits, and was written and illustrated by A J Macgregor. Ladybird
books were priced at half-a-crown (12p) in 1940, and kept to the same price
till the late 1950s.
Writer and artist Margaret
Tarrant produced delightful books for children, which were set in the
countryside. Her delicate illustrations often depicted woodland creatures
dining al fresco. In a similar vein was Molly
Brett, who tended towards brighter colours, but also portrayed animals at
picnics. Books by both these artists are becoming collectable.
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Dolls, too, like nothing better than to dine off dainty tea
sets at an outdoor spread. The 1980's Mattel Lady Lovelylocks dolls even
included a special 'picnic dress' among the outfits.
Doll's tea-sets have been
popular for decades, and many sport delightful nursery prints. Sometimes they
are made by famous manufacturers - at Windsor Castle is a magnificent Sevres
set which was created for a pair of French dolls presented to the Princesses Elizabeth
and Margaret Rose in the 1930s. Often tea-sets are made from tin, plastic or
even glass and can make interesting collectors' items.
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