Or, I could do an impromptu Show and Tell, which utilizes visuals and requires very little effort on my part.
I'm opting for Show and Tell.
About a week ago the subject of teddy bears came up, and one of my blogger friends mentioned that she'd like to see my teddy bears. In respect for her privacy and anonymity, I won't mention Myra's name. (*smile*)
Despite the fact that I'm generally a tough and raunchy hombre, I'll (reluctantly) admit my penchant for teddy bears. I don't purposefully collect them, but I do have a few stashed around the house.
This strange stuffed animal desire (fetish?) could possibly be due to the fact that I never had teddy bears as a child.
Freud could probably figure it out....
This cute teddy bear couple belonged to my mother, but I don't know when or where she got them.
This sweet autumn bear always gives me an agonizing pang of sadness. I gave it to my Mom on her birthday in November, 2009. She had a stroke the next day and died three weeks later.
My favorite bears are all designed by the Bearington Company. This little guy has an apple sweater and is holding a red cap.
Another Bearington bear
This photo was taken in the guest room at my (now deceased) parent's house in Odessa, TX.
(my cat Scratch was trying to find room on the crowded bed).
The teddy bear with the blue hat (upper left, near the cat) was my favorite. He's wearing a sailor suit. I recently looked everywhere but can't find him.
This penguin has nothing to do with teddy bears, but I thought he is an appropriate accompaniment to the cold weather we're having.
While rummaging through my closet for packed-away teddy bears, I found a few unrelated items that might be of interest. It's no secret that I've collected antique art for many years.
Here are a few interesting drawings that I had packed away.
This gorgeous drawing entitled The Betrothal is by French artist Adrien Moreau (1843 - 1906). It was done for a book called The Quest of the Absolute.
This is another of my favorites - it's a miniature country scene in pencil by Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's daughter. She did this when she was eighteen.
Unfortunately I couldn't scan this and the photos are very
blurry. There are two horses (one black, one white) and a man and woman in the foreground.
While rummaging through my closet for packed-away teddy bears, I found a few unrelated items that might be of interest. It's no secret that I've collected antique art for many years.
Here are a few interesting drawings that I had packed away.
This is another of my favorites - it's a miniature country scene in pencil by Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's daughter. She did this when she was eighteen.
Unfortunately I couldn't scan this and the photos are very
Two watercolors (above and below) by British artist John Sell Cotman (1782 - 1842)
It is dated Christmas Eve, 1837 and signed W. Sparr.
This post is getting too long. Perhaps I'll do a sequel.....
The copywriter needs more ink!
ReplyDeleteI wish I still had one teddy bear, especially one in a sailor suit. I guess that's the nearest I would ever get to stroking a sailor's collar for good luck. Did girls in the US do daft things like stroking a sailor's collar while he wasn't looking?
Valerie, I think we need to call your printer repairman to provide the copywriter with more ink! (*smile*)
DeleteI've never heard about a sailor's collar bringing luck. I would hesitate to try it - for fear of being punched in the nose...
What lovely works of art. My favorites are the watercolors by Cotman. Are your teddy bears on display with the seasons? The first set is particularly suited for fall and Thanksgiving. I have my childhood bear in my cedar chest. He's not very decorative.
ReplyDeleteI always keep my teddy bears packed away, so they won't get dirty or dusty. A cedar chest would be a good idea.
DeleteOh this is an interesting post! I love ephemera and little pictures and I am sure you know already that some of those items could be quite valuable. The prints are charming, and I like The Betrothal. They always look so elegant and mannered in these old pictures. I read a very old book on etiquette and can you believe that men in the late 18th cent were actually taught to stand with their feet and hands in certain attitudes when they were talking on certain subjects. So when discussing or declaring love they literally had to put a hands on their heart. ANd I suppose kneel if they were proposing marriage. I mean, wow!!! This picture is an interesting late 19th century take on the ways of fifty years before, I think, and I love the picturesque leaded windows. I like Bearington Bears too, although in general I'm not a bear fan - yet those ones are so endearing. I hope you find the sailor bear - he's also delightful.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the post, Jenny. I smiled when you mentioned kneeling - because my left knee has been hurting so much lately that it's impossible for me to kneel (or propose marriage).
DeleteI never noticed that the gentleman has his hand over his heart until you mentioned it.
Jon, I LOVE your collection of teddy bears. Every single one of them is so cute! And funny you mentioned your affection for them because I too feel the same way. In fact, there was a time when I collected them as well. I've always said that I still have a "child" within me, which I hold onto because I think it's important to keep a childlike wonder and enjoyment about life.
ReplyDeleteThe bear you gave to your Mom is so sweet-looking. And I also love the little guy with the apple sweater. I've heard of the Bearington Company, but never owned one. Do you remember the company, "Build-A-Bear?" I had one of those bears that I built in one of the stores in the mall I worked.
HA! LOVE the pic of Scratch on the bed with all the bears!
Oh, and the penguin is adorable. I also have a passion for penguins, as well as bears. In fact, I own the movie, "March of the Penguins."
Your artwork collection is so beautiful! And I couldn't help but noticed on the backside of that one piece, that it was published in Philadelphia...which is where I live.
Thanks for sharing, my friend. Have a grrrrreat week!
Ron, I've always been a child at heart. It used to annoy me - but now I'm delighted that I am. In my heart I'm perpetually young.
DeleteI would have never thought of Build-A-Bear, but now that you mentioned it I vaguely do remember it. I like the way the Bearington Bears look (they have an old-fashioned flair) and they are available in many styles.
I haven't seen "March of the Penguins" in quite awhile - it would be fun to watch it again.
When I was a child, I remember a book called "Mr. Popper's Penguin".
Aw, thanks for the (secret) shout-out!
ReplyDeleteYour bears are so sweet and winsome. I was shocked and saddened to learn of your mom's stroke, only a day after her birthday. Still, 'Autumn bear' is my favorite. OK, she ties with the one with the rose in her hair.
The second of Cotman's watercolors looks so welcoming, I long to knock.
I really like the autumn bear, too - despite the unpleasant (heartbreaking) memories.
DeleteThe second Cotman painting does look welcoming - a nice place to have tea and crumpets (whatever crumpets are.....)
I never had a teddy bear, either. But I never felt deprived, I guess--until now. LOL! ;)
ReplyDeleteRita, I definitely appreciate teddy bears much more now that I'm an adult (or a reasonable facsimile...).
DeleteScratch looks beyond thrilled to be on the edge of the bed. Cats are sooooo not good at hiding their discontent are they?
ReplyDeleteScratch looks like she's saying "What the hell are all these SOBS doing on the bed?"
DeleteAbsolutely delighted with post pics. My youngest son, Forty (by coincidence that is also his age), visited yesterday and asked me if I had any dolls from my childhood. I had to answer no, but I did have a rubber kewpie doll named Jimmy Scoody. Jimmy was lost in the 1959 move further out into the prairie, but I remember him still and think of him often. He's the one that got my feet having conversations under the bed covers. Jimmy's gone, but the dialogue continues until I fall asleep, even now 60 years later. Thanks for the memories, Jon.
ReplyDeleteGeo - Your mention of Kewpie dolls brought back some memories. I became familiar with the story of Rose O'Neill (creator of the Kewpies) when I lived in the Missouri Ozarks. I saw the remains of her impressive mansion which was destroyed by fire (it was located somewhere near Branson).
DeleteYour Jimmy Scoody doll would probably be a costly collector's item today.
love, love all your teddy bears. that was a great photo with scratch and the bears on the bed. too cute. i know how much you must miss your mom. this time of year makes it more difficult i know. your artwork is beautiful. i must say i rather like the house or cottage picture the most. i can imagine myself stumbling across it on a ride in the country.
ReplyDeleteThis time of year is always filled with bittersweet memories (I know you have many of your own). It is difficult.
DeleteI like teddy bears much more now than I did as a child. It seems that they are now created for the nostalgic whims of adults.
Those two cottage watercolors are really amazing. I like the way the light and shadows are incorporated.
Thanks for the show and tell on your teddy bears, John, and we like them as well. So well, that we went bear hunting at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in Shelburne, VT, a couple of weeks ago. We bought 3 bears for new babies in our family and a unicorn for one of our granddaughter's Christmas gifts. Our favorite bears, besides Vermont Teddy bears, are Boyds Bears, and we have a few of those. We used to have more but cut down when we moved a few years ago. We also have frogs and penguins, mostly in signs but a few small statues. The artwork was beautiful and surely is among your most treasured items, besides the bears. I have a fur stole that belonged to my late mother and have considered having a teddy bear made from it as there are places online that advertise doing so. She passed away 5 years ago and somehow I can't get to researching this so the fur sits in a closet here.
ReplyDeleteVermont Teddy Bears are great - and it must have been fun to actually visit the store. I had completely forgotten about Boyds bears - but now that you mentioned it, I think the sailor bear that I lost might have been a Boyds.
ReplyDeleteI never knew that a teddy bear could be made out of a fur stole but I think it's a terrific idea. It would be a wonderful keepsake.
Congratulations on the new babies in your family!
Jon, your teddy bear collection is awesome! I have several of my own, but they're all hiding in my closet (thanks to a quite rude remark a janitor made during a visit to my apartment). He said something about how REAL men don't play with teddy bears? I told him: "Yeah, I guess most real men prefer to shoot live bears instead. Let us never forget the great Teddy Roosevelt!" That shut him up.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your cat family are all safe and warm? My recent electric bill doubled in a month. And it's only really cold here at night! An early winter is only fun when there's plenty of snow - not freezing rain - to make walking to the store an adventure. Not new boots, but a life boat - that's what I truly need most! I kid you not...
P.S. Multitudinous? Had to look that one up big time :-)
Hey, Dylan - your remark to the janitor was brilliant. I keep my teddy bears (safely) in the closet, too - mostly so they stay tidy and dust-free.
DeleteI've been insulted so many times in my life - for so many things - that I no longer give a damn what other people think. I'd rather have teddy bears than firearms.
Fortunately the weather here has "warmed" up to the 50's and rain is in the forecast. I haven't gotten my electric bill yet. Unfortunately I'm not exactly staying warm. There's something wrong with the furnace and I've been without heat the past few days. If I can't get it working soon I'll have to call a repairman (and endure another big bill).
Life is a piss - - it's one problem after another.
Multitudinous?? Every once in awhile I throw in a big word just to scare everybody! (*smile*). Take care and stay warm & dry.
I need to find out how you fix a blog so I can reply to comments.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I never had to do anything to my blog to reply to comments. The "Reply" thingie is right next to "Delete", directly under the comment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it might be different on your blog.