Teddy is my oldest friend, except Mom of course. The earliest known picture of him is in the family photo album on the same page as my first birthday. So I assume he was a birthday present. He was a gift from my Uncle John in England and was of war time manufacture. The picture below shows him as I got him; all fuzzy, with eyes and nose intact and velvet palms and soles just aching to be rubbed against your nose. It is the only picture I have of him from my childhood. I don’t remember him this way. As far back as I can recall he has been bald. I remember Mom fixing him up at one time. I guess his eyes had fallen off and the string of his nose and mouth had fallen off too. Mom sewed on two buttons to replace his missing eyes and replaced his nose and mouth too. Her nose and mouth repair has gone by the wayside too, but the buttons remain to this day. I assume his stuffing was excelsior which powdered and sifted out through the course-woven fabric. It had to be replaced at the same time as the other repairs. Mom used old nylon stockings. In the picture I also appear to be holding some kind of a doll. I think it may have been a Cupie doll. Does anyone recognise if that’s right?
I have had Teddy within easy reach all these years.
Butch and Paddy Thorpe with Teddy – Sept 12,1949
In the early 1970’s he was on temporary loan to my kids. I found this photo of Lance asleep with Teddy and his own bear, Floyd.
Lance Thorpe with Teddy and Floyd – 1972
Here is how he looks today. When Wendy was a teenager, I asked her to make him a little vest because he was getting so threadbare that even Mom’s nylons were trying to escape his innards. She tells me she whined about it then flat out refused. So Karen made him the natty little vest and bow tie for my Christmas present that year, hence the red and green motif. Wendy tells me she feels really bad about the whole deal now and would gladly do it today.
Teddy – Feb 21,2007
I suppose I ought to refurbish him again. If I do, that will be the subject of another blog entry.
he needs a little stuffing in his limbs, but for the most part, he looks great!
I’d say he’s in pretty good shape for his age… I think he probably needs a scottish cap to go with that vest.
At least your Teddy survived. My childhood panda didn’t survive our 5 kids but he had fun while he lasted. I’ve made up for it by having a huge collection of bears now. I’m just a kid at heart.
Oh, also, I think that is a cupie doll you are holding, it has the right head like the cupie dolls.
yoy must have loved teddy more than i loved my teddy because he still has most of his fur. only the inside of the elbows and knees are rubbed smooth and flat. i did “bite the bear’s nosey” tho, until paddy had to glue it back together.
What a cutie boy … and Teddy too!
I’ve got my “Golden Bear” safely settled in my bedroom, too. He’s still golden, but his “velvety palms” are rubbed off and splitting, and he no longers says, “Mwaaaaaaaagh” wehn you push his tummy, but I love him too.