British Bears
In the early days, British manufacturers copied the look of the German bears. Over the years however they have gradually changed, as designers began to experiment with different shapes and materials.
The first British bear was made by J K Farnell in 1906. Other early bears were made by W J Terry, Dean's Rag Book Co Ltd, Chad Valley and Chiltern. While early British bears copied the German look, later on they began to change - their bodies became fatter, their faces flatter and their arms and legs shorter. British makers also experimented with different materials.
Artificial silk plush was first used in the 1920s and sheepskin was popular for a while in the 1950s. Bears made by different companies developed their own characteristics. Chad Valley bears are instantly recognisable from their bulbous noses, which are often compared to lumps of coal. Early Farnell bears have webbed claw stitching, and Chiltern noses of the 1920s and 1930s have two long stitches going up at each end.
Bear production expanded after the second world war, and the existing market was joined by companies such as Plummer Wandless who specialised in sheepskin bears and Wendy Boston which became famous for producing the first machine-washable teddy bear. Despite the success of British bears, many early companies did not survive for long - some failed, and some were taken over by larger companies. W J Terry was out of business by the end of the 1930s, and Chiltern was taken over by Chad Valley which in turn was taken over by Palitoy. Today only two of the major teddy names are still making bears - Merrythought, founded in 1930 and Dean's. Although they still make traditional bears, these companies also produce many collectibles which are usually either copies of old bears or specially-designed commemorative or souvenir bears.
Chad Valley Bears
Chad Valley was already a well-established toy company before it started to make teddy bears in 1915. It was granted a Royal Warrant in 1938 and was one of the very few firms that continued to produce toys during both World Wars.
Chiltern Bears
Chiltern Toys started out as a toy export company in the late 19th century, founded by Josef and Gabriel Eisenmann. Gabriel was based in Germany and Josef in London and it was Josef, together with his son-in-law, Leon Rees, who founded the Chiltern Toy Works in Buckinghamshire in 1908.
Dean's Rag Book Company Bears
Dean's Rag Book Co Ltd was founded in 1903 by Henry Samuel Dean and was an off-shoot of the Dean & Son publishing firm that specialised in children's books. Originally set up to make rag books, Dean's soon diversified into rag sheets and soft toys, including teddy bears.
J. K. Farnell Bear
This bear was made by the London company, J. K. Farnell. First based in Notting Hill, the company was founded by a silk merchant, John Kirby Farnell, in 1840 to make small household items such as pin cushions and tea cosies.
Merrythought Bears
Merrythought Ltd was founded in 1930 by W G Holmes and G H Laxton who were already running a spinning and weaving business. They attracted the services of former staff from established teddy bear manufacturers Chad Valley and J K Farnell and immediately produced a range of teddies and soft toys.
William Terry Bear
The firm William J. Terry was founded in Stoke Newington, London in 1890 and moved to Hackney in 1909. Terry was a skin merchant and made soft toys using animal fur. The company used the trademark Terry'er Toys after an early soft toy terrier that had been modelled on Caesar, the pet dog of King Edward VII.
