Baby thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Baby

Soft Toy
ca. 1906 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This bear belonged to the Cattley family who lived in Ealing, west London. The two boys, Gilbert and Donald, and three girls, Nellie, Constance and Maud, were all born between 1885 and 1892. Between them they owned a vast array of soft toys including nine teddy bears. These would have been among the first available bears in England. The children were devoted to their toys. They made beautiful clothes for them, took them on holiday, photographed them and painted their portraits. Drawings by the children tell us that this bear is called Baby.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBaby (assigned by owner)
Materials and techniques
Sewn velvet and cotton and embroidery.
Brief description
Rabbit rattle 'Baby'in blue dress; Velvet, German, c1906
Physical description
Soft rabbit rattle made of brown mottled velvet with red and black glass eyes. It is dressed in a blue cotton dress decorated with white embroidery. It is also wearing a white petticoat finished with a lace, a pair of drawers and it has a pale blue satin ribbon round to its neck.
Dimensions
  • Whole object height: 18cm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Mrs. Maud Evelyn Cattley
Object history
Given by Mrs. Maud Evelyn Cattley. This teddy bear belonged to her children, who also made their own elephant soft toy called 'Pumpie'. Together with their other soft toys and teddy bears that were very popular at that time, Baby was treated like a member of the family.
Subject depicted
Summary
This bear belonged to the Cattley family who lived in Ealing, west London. The two boys, Gilbert and Donald, and three girls, Nellie, Constance and Maud, were all born between 1885 and 1892. Between them they owned a vast array of soft toys including nine teddy bears. These would have been among the first available bears in England. The children were devoted to their toys. They made beautiful clothes for them, took them on holiday, photographed them and painted their portraits. Drawings by the children tell us that this bear is called Baby.
Collection
Accession number
MISC.60-1979

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Record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
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