Bears in Stories

Stories about bears have been around for hundreds of years. They have always been popular in the fairy and folk tales of Europe. As soon as teddy bears first appeared, stories about them followed. Rupert Bear, Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington are some of the most famous bears in books. Film and television have also produced well known bears such as Superted.

Superted, about 1984. Museum no. Misc.561-1984 (click image for larger version)

The bear has appeared in literature for hundreds of years. As an important symbolic animal, it features in many folk tales and fairy stories, particularly those from Eastern Europe. Since the advent of the teddy, bear stories have grown increasingly popular with the appearance of several outstanding characters. Rupert the Bear first appeared in the Daily Express as a cartoon strip in 1920. Originally drawn by Mary Tourtel, he is probably best known through the illustrations of Alfred Bestall. Rupert has gone on to further fame as a television character as well as still appearing in book form.

Winnie-the-Pooh was written by A A Milne in 1926 and featured his son's (Christopher Robin) own toys. E H Shepherd illustrated the stories and based the bear on his own son's teddy, Growler. Paddington Bear has featured in the books by Michael Bond and on television in two different cartoon series.

It is only since the 1950s that bears have made their mark in the world of film and television. In Britain, the Watch With Mother series of the 1950s and early 1960s produced two big teddy stars, Teddy Edward and Andy Pandy's friend, also called Teddy. The glove puppet, Sooty became central to entertainer Harry Corbett's magic show, and when the pair got their chance to appear on television in 1955, they became an instant success. In the 1970s the children's series Play School introduced Big Ted and Little Ted. Other stars of this decade included Nookie Bear, Bungle from Rainbow and Superted, the flying Welsh bear.