Apr 2008 Section 1.Indd

The Origins of an Heirloom Natural Highs & ...By Wendy Tomlinson, 2008 owned a small toy factory, and she and finished with a very high level of Warm fuzzies insisted that they create a prototype bear, skill. From the hand-blown glass eyes, Beloved by young and old alike, in based on the drawings. Highly collectable and lacy ribbon adornments, to the • Falling in love. nations around the world, the Teddy and sought after today, the Steiff bears vintage accessories and handmade hats. Bear has become such an integral part still have the distinctive humped back Rhonda uses English and German mohair, • Having your 2:00 class of society over the past century, that it and long nose, more like the real bears of chenille bedspreads and some faux furs, cancelled on a beautiful is hard to imagine our lives without our Richard Steiff’s drawings. but most of her Teddies are crafted from day. ubiquitous furry pal. Teddy was an instant success. Played ‘previously enjoyed’ real fur coats. with, cuddled and talked to they could The coats are shipped to her from • Laughing so hard your sit, turn their head, move arms and legs customers across North America. It face hurts. and in some cases, growl. Teddy Bears might be Grandma’s mink, or a once • Watching a child do were made in wool and mohair and came beloved fur coat forgotten in the back in a range of colours, from silvery white of a closet. Many of Rhonda’s bears are something for the ﬁ rst to black, with shiny boot button eyes and memorial bears, made in remembrance time after you taught felt paw pads and stuffed with long thin of a loved one and she has even made them. strips of wood, generally pine. bruins from Grandpa’s hunting pants By 1906 it was clear that the Teddy and a schoolteacher’s favorite blazer. • A great idea. Bear craze was in full swing when composer Clients often ask this talented bear • A scholarship. JK Bratton wrote “The Teddy Bear Two maker to personalize their Teddy with • A hot shower. Step”, eventually becoming the song “The keepsake jewelry and spectacular antique Teddy Bear’s Picnic”. And between 1903 christening gowns or add unique items • No line at the book and 1915 Steiff manufactured and sold such as miniature musical instruments return. millions of bears, each with its trademark and eyeglasses. • A hug. ear button. A full-length fur coat can often Rhonda with her furry friend World War 1 would interrupt the be used to make more than one bear, • A special glance. flow of bears to North America and by depending on the size of the finished • Acting in the theater. the 1930’s economic depression in the US bear and the size and condition of the • Clean sheets. By definition the Teddy Bear is an meant most of the large scale Teddy Bear coat. To purchase a bear from Kozy Kabin enduring traditional form of stuffed manufacturers stopped production and ‘Handcrafted Hugs’ expect to pay about • Getting mail. toy animal, for the purpose of a child’s the tradition of hand sewn natural fiber one hundred dollars, if the customer • Walking your dog. plaything, but in recent years some Teddy bears came to an end. provides the coat, and up to two hundred • Love. Bears have become highly sought after In the post war era consumers dollars to adopt a bear from Rhonda’s by adult collectors. Teddy Bear collectors wanted washable toys and liked the idea collection. • Falling asleep in the or ‘arctophiles’, from the Greek word of bears made of nylon and acrylic plush, When asked if she ever gets tired of sun on a cool day. ‘arcto’ (bear) and ‘philos’ (lover), will with plastic eyes and stuffed with foam making the same thing, she says, “But it’s • Taking a drive on a go to extraordinary measures to adopt rubber stuffing. In the mid1980’s a new never the same- each (one) Teddy Bear is that special friend, setting the world craze of Teddy-mania swept around the unique.” “I couldn’t make two the same pretty road. record for the most expensive bear at a globe again, when Steiff began producing if I tried!” • Hugging a big teddy Christie’s auction in 1994. “Teddy Girl” their limited edition bears and individual Each bear is painstakingly created in bear. by Steiff, the lifelong companion of the ‘bear artists’ began creating one of kind Rhonda’s studio and takes up to two days late Colonel Bob Henderson, sold for over heritage quality Teddy Bears in home to complete and clients should expect • Playing miniature golf. $170 000 dollars. based studios. to wait up to 12 weeks to receive their • Getting a strike in The first documented Teddy Bear in One such artist is Rhonda Ridgeway completed custom Teddy Bear. During the bowling. North America, was created by Morris of Kozy Kabin ‘Handcrafted Hugs’, Christmas season Rhonda is overwhelmed and Rose Michtom, of Brooklyn, New located near Durham Ontario. Rhonda with requests and asks clients to place York, after being inspired by a cartoon started making Teddy Bears in 1995, after their orders early in the year. that appeared in the November 16 1902 inheriting her grandfather’s vintage fur With their charismatic little issue of The Washington Post. coat. From then on Rhonda’s customers personalities and high quality The cartoon drawn by Clifford have been keeping her busy making workmanship, it is easy to see why Berryman depicts the often-told tale of nearly four thousand one of a kind ‘arctophiles’ everywhere are falling in LONGING TO BELONG US President Theodore Roosevelt refusing collector bears for adults, from her own love with Rhonda Ridgeway’s heirloom to shoot a bear cub. The black bear patterns and designs. Teddies. If you would like your own having being captured and presented to Rhonda has been crafting all her ‘Handcrafted Hugs’ Teddy Bear log onto See the multi-ethnic throng him on an unsuccessful hunting trip in life and began sewing after purchasing www.kozykabin.ca for more information Mississippi, where he was attempting her first sewing machine in elementary and upcoming craft show dates or call hear their multillgual song to settle a border dispute. Reportedly school. Her bears are exquisitely detailed 519-369-3736. Roosevelt refused to fire at such a helpless different races, different faces creature and went on to successfully use a ever struggling to belong bear image in his political campaigns. The Mictom’s sewed a soft bear toy They come from lands beyond and placed it in the front window of their candy and stationary shop, with a copy the sea of the cartoon. The wide-eyed little bear with hopes and dreams of stood upright, resembling the cartoon drawing. “Teddy’s Bear” was such a huge breathing free hit with the buying public that demand immediately skyrocketed and the and in the end, O Candada Mictom’s quickly went on to found the they’ll proudly stand on guard first Teddy Bear manufacturing company in North America, the Ideal Novelty and for thee Toy Company, still in operation today. Coincidentally, across the ocean in Germany a young Richard Steiff was William Bedford, Toronto sketching his favourite animals at the Stuttgart Zoo, the bear cubs. In 1902 Richard presented his sketches to his disabled aunt, Margarete Steiff, who ...often imitated but never duplicated. www.ddontario.com 3.

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