 |
||||
 |
||||
 |
|
|
|
|
The Hall of Fame
at the top of the house features treasured bears from the Museum's
collection. "The Best of British" cabinet features four fine old bears
from three pioneering teddy bear companies, Chiltern Toys, Chad Valley and
JK Farnell. It was Christopher Robin's 1921 Farnell bear which inspired
A.A. Milne's stories of Winnie-the-Pooh. The oldest of the bears is Arden,
made in 1913, bequeathed to the Museum by his owner Claire Jukes, who
started the first Elizabeth Arden salon in the United Kingdom.
ARDEN |
|
Dean's Rag Book Company has been making bears since about
1905 and is Britain's oldest teddy bear company. Their schoolboy
bear has a 1920's pedigree. Merrythought have been making bears
since 1930 and this display includes three early examples of
their much loved "Cheeky" bear. |