Paddington Bear thumbnail 1
Paddington Bear thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Imagine Gallery, Adventure, Case 1

Paddington Bear

Teddy Bear
1980 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Michael Bond's first Paddington Bear book appeared in 1958. Paddington's popularity increased with his appearance on television during the 1970s. Paddington is a bear - not a teddy bear. Gabrielle Designs, who made this Paddington, produced the first soft toy in 1972. The company were responsible for giving Paddington his boots, made by Dunlop. Michael Bond then added boots to his Paddington character. This Paddington is a British version and wears a safety pin in his hat. The American versions do not have the pin as it would breach safety regulations.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePaddington Bear (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Stuffed and sewn nylon plush
Brief description
Nylon plush Paddington Bear made in England by Gabrielle Designs in 1980
Physical description
Unjointed bear of cream nylon plush dressed in a navy blue felt duffel coat, a floppy red felt hat and red Wellington boots with cream soles. There is a safety pin in the hat and a printed luggage label attached one of the four duffel coat toggles. The eyes and nose are plastic.
Dimensions
  • Height: 515mm
  • Width: 440mm
  • Depth: 270mm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Mrs C. Webber
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Summary
Michael Bond's first Paddington Bear book appeared in 1958. Paddington's popularity increased with his appearance on television during the 1970s. Paddington is a bear - not a teddy bear. Gabrielle Designs, who made this Paddington, produced the first soft toy in 1972. The company were responsible for giving Paddington his boots, made by Dunlop. Michael Bond then added boots to his Paddington character. This Paddington is a British version and wears a safety pin in his hat. The American versions do not have the pin as it would breach safety regulations.
Collection
Accession number
MISC.92-1980

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Record createdOctober 29, 2003
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