Modern Collectible Teddy Bears - Canterbury Bears Ltd, Littlebourne, Kent, England (UK)
Canterbury Bears Ltd, a family business, was founded in 1979 by Maude and John Blackburn, located in the village of Littlebourne just 4 miles from the ancient city of Canterbury in Kent England. Their studio/workshop occupies what was once a mushroom farm and is surrounded by large apple orchards.
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| Canterbury Teddy Bear "Hamish" |
"Hamish", a Canterbury Teddy Bear with a 1986 dated seam tag and original hang tag.
Hamish Teddy Bear would have been one of the first of the Blackburn's teddy creations to bear their "new" logo on the bear's hang tag and seam tag showing the official Coat of Arms of the City of Canterbury! They were granted the right to use it as their company logo in 1987, a huge privilege! The ancient Coat of Arms is registered by the Garter King of Arms and is circa 11th Century.
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| Canterbury Bears dated seam tag |
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| Canterbury Bears Ltd Coat of Arms Logo |
Canterbury Teddy Bears are all crafted with great care using natural materials such as mohair, wool, alpaca, silk and cotton and are stuffed with cotton fibre, polyester and sometimes steel shot. All Canterbury bears are fully jointed with traditional wooden disc joints that Canterbury makes themselves. Canterbury Teddy Bears are individuals, each having their own character; not surprising as every one is finished by hand and are made to last a lifetime.
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| "Victoria" by Canterbury Bears Ltd for Gund |
Canterbury has made bears for many prestigious companies and events such as Harrods, Disney, Gund, Victoria and Albert Museum, HM Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Celebration, the Queen Mother's 80th Birthday and President Bill Clinton's Inauguration.
Here is "Victoria" a Limited Edition Teddy Bear by Canterbury made exclusively for Gund in 1991. She is made from alpaca plush and one smooth leather foot pad is hand signed by Maude and John Blackburn. She is No. 171 of 1000, hand numbered on her other leather foot pad below the embroidered tag sewn onto her foot.
Canterbury Bears Ltd facilities can be visited by the public, if arranged in advance. There are often "one off" Teddy Bears available to purchase by visitors to the site.
In June 2013, founder and managing director John Theodore Blackburn traveled to the Palace to receive the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) award for Service to Manufacturing and Export! Congratulations to Mr. Blackburn!
Bears featured above can be viewed at Mandicrafts
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Could you please give me an idea of the value of a large vintage Koala Bear; made of kangaroo fur? Purchased in 1969, in Brisbane, currently in the U.K. He measures 54cms in height x 46cms in width. He comes complete with a smaller version. Absolutely immaculate condition.
ReplyDeleteHello She sounds like a lovely koala and certainly larger than you usually see. The market is entirely collector driven so may garner a higher price in a collector setting, perhaps eBay or Etsy or other such venues. With her being of genuine kangaroo fur, you must be careful with some countries who may not allow import. I would say, without having seen her, probably in the $100 to $200 USD range. Best Regards Mandicrafts
DeleteHello we have a canterbury bear which says it's no 23 of 50. His name is beckett - could you tell me anything about this particular bear please?
ReplyDelete