Ken Yenke, A teddy bear expert

 

A teddy bear expert

I have been re-reading my teddy bear reference books lately and adding a few more titles to my bookshelf. There are some superb collectors' books, written in the 1980's and 90's, now listed secondhand on websites such as 'World of Books' and good old Ebay... and usually offered at very reasonable prices.

I love to read about the development of the teddy bear over the past century. It is fascinating to learn about the teddy bear phenomenom and its impact on social history... and as a teddy bear designer myself, I am always inspired by photographs of old bears. I think I may be a bit of a teddy bear geek (!) but the written history of the teddy bear has always interested me; perhaps because the authors who write about our beloved teddy bear, are also genuine collectors and enthusiasts, writing with deep passion and respect for their subject. One such author was Ken Yenke, an American teddy bear expert, sadly lost to the bear world after his death in 2014...

Ken was an expert in the truest sense of the word. Not only respected internationally for his broad subject knowledge and love of teddy bears, but also a dedicated private collector. He built a significant collection of antique teddy bears with his wife Brenda and shared them with the world through his books... which I am fortunate enough to have on my workroom bookshelf.

I first learned of Ken Yenke's work through my subscription to a US teddy bear magazine published in the 1980's. Subsequently, as a competitive teddy bear artist, I was honoured to have Ken include my nomination in 'The Golden Teddy Bear Awards' presentation video in 2011. I didn't win my category that year but it was such a thrill to be included in his presentation! https://allbear.blogspot.com/2011/10/2011-golden-teddy-award-winners.html 

If you would like to read more about Ken's beautiful teddy bear collection and the wonderful personal histories behind many of the bears, I highly recommend hunting for copies of his books. They are written in his inimitably warm, personal style and in my view, are a real treat for any teddy bear enthusiast!

Ken Yenke's titles are as follows:

Teddy Bear Treasury Vol. 1
Teddy Bear Treasury Vol. 2
Bing Bears and toys

https://www.kenyenke.com/about


There are of course, many other fine teddy bear titles, written by a variety of authors, now available to find secondhand. I will publish a list of some of my personal favourites at a later date for anyone interested in delving deeper into this fascinating topic.

Happy teddy bear reading ... and collecting!

Where it began...

 

Where it began...

Where it all began. This photo is an important element of my bearmaking journey over the past thirty years. My connection with teddy bears has lasted my entire lifetime and long before I made my first teddy bear, I was a bear collector. It began with a love of Chiltern Hugmee teddy bears, the British manufacturer of the wonderful Hugmee teddy bear range, made in the UK from 1923 until 1967. My parents gave me a beautiful large Chiltern Hugmee for my first birthday in 1964, a very special big bear (third from right, centre row) who sat on my bed for many years... and the rest, as they say, is history!

Steadfast and true

Henry 16"

When I was first introduced to the world of artist bears way back in the 1990's, the bears that always captured my heart were soulful, traditional gold teddy bears. I loved them then and love now.

Steadfast and true.

In my eyes, they embody childhood and will never grow old.

This is my latest traditional bear, a lovely 16" fellow called Henry.

I hope he makes you smile.

www.allbearbypaula.com

Update: Henry has been adopted.

All Bear, a collection

Over the past twenty five years, I have been blessed by the support I have received from the lovely people who have collected my teddy bears.  I will be forever grateful to these very special collectors, for their belief in my bears and also for the opportunity they have given me, to continue creating the bears I love.

Now and again I am sent photographs of my bears in their homes and a few days ago, received this picture of a fabulous collection of 'All Bear by Paula' teddy bears, now living contentedly in Germany. Their owner kindly gave me permission to share her photograph.  I hope you enjoy seeing her beautiful collection of 'All Bear' teddy bears, as much as I have.  

Don't they look stunning together!!!

:-)

The universal language of teddy bears

After twenty five years of creating teddy bears and sending them all around the world to live, I was excited to add a new country to add to my list of globetrotting teddy bears this week ...

This sweet fellow will be the first of my bears ever to emmigrate all the way to South Korea!

I have been trying to list all the countries my bears now live in ... it's not easy to remember after so many years as a teddy bear maker, but I think these just about cover it:

United Kingdom

United States

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

Japan

China

France

Germany

Italy

Finland

Denmark

Belgium

Spain

South Africa

Luxembourg

Singapore

Hong Kong

And now ... ta da ...

South Korea!

Teddy bear hugs, it seems, speak a universal language!

:-)

Twists, turns and teddy bear artistry

Time is a funny old thing isn't it ... I was hunting through some old photographs for pictures of my biggest bears and came across this one taken about twenty years ago, with my huge 32" 'Miguel the Magnificent' alpaca teddy. We were perched on the steps outside my kitchen window while my then husband, snapped a quick photo to record the creation of this huge teddy bear, before he took a flight to meet his new owner in the USA.

Me and Miguel the Magnificent circa 1998.

So much in my life changed since those days. After this happy pic was taken, I became divorced, a single mum and eventually, left my home of twenty three years, to begin a new life with my now husband and two teenage children. Then my kids grew up and made careers for themselves, left home to build their own nests ... and joy of joys, my grandson was born!

Just before my son left home my Dad passed away unexpectedly, which took a great deal of coming to terms with, as I rattled in an empty house each day. I filled the silence with waggy tails, noisy barks and golden sunshine thanks to Polly and Betty, my two beautiful golden retrievers and more recently, added a cheeky ginger kitten into this rather lively mix - one thing is absolutely certain, the house is no longer too quiet and I have no time left to rattle any more!

Thinking about things further, it wasn't until after the photograph with Miguel was taken, I finally plucked up sufficient determination to learn to drive, passing my test on the second attempt, at the grand old age of 42! I also taught myself to use a computer properly, learned among a zillion other things, to create a website to showcase my bears, write a blog and to utilise social media effectively. I also joined the Open University to develop my writing skills, then surprised myself by passing well!  And when a very boisterous Polly puppy arrived, I nervously signed up for dog obedience training classes and once again surprised myself by actually managing to teach not one, but two naughty puppies to become polite doggy citizens. I learned how to use a digital camera to photograph bears, to make cloth dollies and recently, to paint and draw. 

Me and Lonnie, February 2018

Since the early 1990's, I have witnessed the ebb and flow of teddy bear collecting and watched it reshape dramatically with the birth of the internet ... it has been a fascinating period of historic teddy bear change, both in terms of design and collecting ... and one in which I have enjoyed a privileged view! 

On a personal note, although my life has been full of ups and downs, twists and turns throughout those twenty something years, thankfully the one constant has been my teddy bears. The passion to create these gentle creatures has remained with me, during the best and the worst of times.

There must be many reasons people become teddy bear makers. Mine was simply that I always loved traditional bears, ever since I was child and I had an itch to create my own ... then once I'd started, I couldn't bear to stop!

Thank you so very much if you have been a part of my teddy bear history. I have met many lovely people from around the world during my time as a 'bear artist' and am eternally grateful for the kind homes shared with my teddy bears and the kindness shared with me. 

:-)

A reason for being ..

From time to time, I receive a telephone call reminding me exactly why I am a bear maker.  Today was one such day.  The 'phone rang just as I was about to give Polly and Betty their breakfast, so I asked them to wait while I picked up the receiver ... 

On the end of the line was a lady 'no longer in the first flush of youth' (her words not mine!) asking if I was the person who made teddy bears 'for the Auntie Bears firm'.  I smiled to myself as I told her yes, I had made bears in the past under the 'Auntie Bears' label, way back in the mid to late 1990's.  It was then she told me about a very special teddy bear she had recently purchased, after much careful deliberation, from a local antique shop.  The teddy was large, ivory white and wore a delicate net collar, now yellow with age.  She told me she came with a beautifully handwritten tag, bearing the name 'Lilian' ... did I remember when I made her?

Sometimes, when a collector rings with such a question, try as I might, it's not easy to remember their bear after so many years because I have made so many teddies over the past two decades ... but I knew this lady's bear in an instant.  'Yes I remember Lilian,' I told her with a smile, 'I named her after my Grandmother'.

My caller espied Lilian tucked away among the antiques and fell instantly in love.  Being a lady of sensible disposition, she left the shop without Lilian in her arms, but the bear wouldn't leave her thoughts.  The next day she decided the only answer would be to return to the antiques shop and claim Lilian as her own.

Lilian was a beautiful bear, one of the few I made that even tugged my own heartstrings.  I recall being reluctant to sell her and for quite some time, kept her with me, until I had no choice but to find her a new owner.   I don't recall who bought her back then, but sometimes a teddy bear's path takes twists and turns and their first owner may need to find them a new home. Lilian was one such bear.  

I couldn't be more delighted that the beautiful white bear I made twenty years ago and named in memory of my Gran, found her way to that antique shop, then into the life of the lady who rang me this morning.

Sadly I no longer have a photograph of Lilian teddy to share with you, so  I will have to leave that to your imagination and instead share some pretty white Spring blossom.

:-)

A friend for Rica.

Rica & Willi by Rita Diesing of Ridibears

Do you remember me telling you about little Rica at Christmas?  He was a special present from me to me, after a busy year of bear making.  I stumbled across Rica whilst browsing the orphans page of Abracadabra Bears website (http://www.abracadabra-teddies.com/orphanagegallery.htm) and as a long time admirer of Rita Diesling's (http://www.ridibears.de/) lovely bears, I couldn't pass him by!  Every time I visited the site, there was little Rica, begging me to adopt him in time for Christmas - so eventually I accepted fate and did just that!  Well, as is usually the case with these things, one thing quickly led to another and on a return visit to Abracadabra, I noticed another of Rita's bears had been orphaned.  Fortunately for me, Marsha the owner of Abracadra Bears was able to reserve 'Willi' for me until my birthday in February.  I am happy to tell you these dear little bears are now reunited and have now settled comfortably into my workroom with me!

Ssssshhhhh, a Christmas secret!

Look who's peeking out from under my Christmas tree ... isn't he adorable?!  Little 'Rica' was created by Rita Diesing in Germany and I am so thrilled he has come to live with me!  I haven't told anyone yet - you are the very first to share my special Christmas secret!

'Rica' by Rita Diesing of Ridibears

... and this little piggy ...

If I remember back to my childhood in the 60's, I think even then I had the first stirrings of magpie instinct. I recall saving pennies in a little red suede drawstring purse simply because I liked the feel of them, then there was the old wooden box I 'borrowed' from my mother - it had a keyhole but no key and I filled it with tatty postcards and penpal letters; my windowsill was lined with souvenir dolls in national costume and of course, I never could see my way to parting with treasured soft toys, no matter how scruffy and unhygienic they became ... in fact, several of those dear tatty old friends are with me still.

Four decades later and the instinct to surround myself with the things I love, is still very much alive and kicking. I simply can't do 'minimalist', that's not me at all. From bears to books, pottery to piggy banks, I confess my collecting sins! I thought you might like to take a peek at one of my little weaknesses ... I discovered these piggies when I was on a pretty tight collecting budget and since then, have become enchanted by them!

Each piggy bank is made by the Arthur Wood pottery company, (mostly during the 1960's and 1970's) and each has been hand painted with flamboyantly pretty designs. I think they are delightful collectables and of course, are also useful for saving up pennies for my next piggy indulgence!

If you would like to learn a little more about Arthur Wood piggy banks, you can find more lovely examples at: http://www.piggybankpage.co.uk/arthur_wood.htm

By the way, did you notice the vase next to my elephant piggy? Well, therein lies another of my pottery passions ... but I'll share that one with you another day!