Wendy Boston Bear - Jointed and large

[Mandicrafts]

Hello! I just signed up! I love that there is a site just for teddy bears!

I recently acquired an old Wendy Boston large bear from an Antiques Mall, and he is fully jointed. I have only been able to find into on the washable unjointed ones. Is mine possibly one of the earlier ones? Are there any links to sites on Wendy Boston that has jointed bears?

I can post a photo if anyone is interested in seeing him. The original label is in his side seam.

[elize]

Hallo and welcome to the forum. Jointed Wendy Boston bears are rare to find - I have never seen one.

Round about 1947 the Wendy Boston company were making jointed bears and animals - from mohair. Yes I think your bear is an earlier one as most of the later bears were washable, safe for children and hygienic.

I personally have never seen links to Wendy Boston Bears.

Please post a picture of your Wendy Boston Bear.

[Mandicrafts]

Here he is! A large fellow! Has all his fur, and his paw pads are in nice shape too. The label is in his side seam and I didn't take a photo of it, but all it says is Wendy Boston.
Funny thing is, I have never seen ANY Wendy Boston til now, and then, when I was researching lastnight, I came across another jointed one on eBay from Nova Scotia Canada and I won him, so will have TWO jointed ones! The one on eBay has his label too, but it says A Wendy Boston Playsafe Toy. His paw pads appear to be the same colour and material but is more obviously mohair. The one in this photo I am not entirely sure its mohair? Unless he just needs a combing?
Let me know what you think!
I'm also posting another photo of a poorly antique white bear whose neck joint is pretty much gone and his poor paw pads are worn through with the dark felt lining showing through. I don't know what he is either?

[elize]

Here he is! A large fellow! Has all his fur, and his paw pads are in nice shape too. The label is in his side seam and I didn't take a photo of it, but all it says is Wendy Boston.
Funny thing is, I have never seen ANY Wendy Boston til now, and then, when I was researching lastnight, I came across another jointed one on eBay from Nova Scotia Canada and I won him, so will have TWO jointed ones! The one on eBay has his label too, but it says A Wendy Boston Playsafe Toy. His paw pads appear to be the same colour and material but is more obviously mohair. The one in this photo I am not entirely sure its mohair? Unless he just needs a combing?
Let me know what you think!
I'm also posting another photo of a poorly antique white bear whose neck joint is pretty much gone and his poor paw pads are worn through with the dark felt lining showing through. I don't know what he is either?

Mandy

I think the Wendy Boston bear is made from mohair plush.After World War II, plush was made from synthetic yarn on a knitted backing. It was much cheaper to produce than mohair.

I'll do a bit of research on the white bear and see what I can find.:paw

[Mandicrafts]

Hi Elize
I wondered if you'd found anything on the white bear I posted above?

Is there anything I can do about his head? I think a professional would have to fix him. Its hanging on by a thread so must've broken off from the swivel join?

I rec'd the other Wendy Boston bear yesterday and he is darling, though the people squished him flat to fit him in his box, so hopefully his little muzzle will pop out again! He has a working squeaker and is fully jointed and has lovely soft mohair, full coverage, and isn't wooly - more silky and quite plush. I think his eyes are plastic. His paw pads are dark brown felt. The label is in his back seam and says A Wendy Boston Soft Toy.

[elize]

Hi Elize
I wondered if you'd found anything on the white bear I posted above?

Is there anything I can do about his head? I think a professional would have to fix him. Its hanging on by a thread so must've broken off from the swivel join?

I rec'd the other Wendy Boston bear yesterday and he is darling, though the people squished him flat to fit him in his box, so hopefully his little muzzle will pop out again! He has a working squeaker and is fully jointed and has lovely soft mohair, full coverage, and isn't wooly - more silky and quite plush. I think his eyes are plastic. His paw pads are dark brown felt. The label is in his back seam and says A Wendy Boston Soft Toy.

Mandi

The stuffing on the white bear looks like it is black? Does it look like "old waste" material ? I had an old bear that was stuffed with a black/multicolor waste material.

It is always better to have an expert fix an old antique bear. Sometimes they need to make sure the material is strong enough before they fix it. That requires an iron-on backing to the mohair otherwise it will tear out.

Wendy Boston Bears were made with safety in mind for children so chances are good they are plastic.

[Mandicrafts]

Hi Elize
I think the dark material you see is the felt backing to the original felt pads. I know waste felt was often used in dark colours behind the overfelt of the paw pads to add strength. I believe his head is stuffed with excelsior as it is very firmly and makes a crackling noise, and his body is probably stuffed with kapok as its a bit softer though still quite firm. I didn't want to squish him too much as he is fragile but I couldn't find any squeaker or voice box inside.
Any idea on the possible date on the smaller Wendy Boston jointed bear? When did plastic come into being for eyes? He's probably more recent than the large guy?
Thanks!

[elize]

Here he is! A large fellow! Has all his fur, and his paw pads are in nice shape too. The label is in his side seam and I didn't take a photo of it, but all it says is Wendy Boston.

Labels in 1955 :
Play Save Toy
Made in GT Britain
by
Wendy Boston

Labels in 1959:
Wendy Boston
Made in England
Wash in Luke Warm Suds

Labels in 1960:
Wendy Boston
Wash in Luke Warm Suds

Labels in 1965:
Wendy Boston
Playsafe Toys Ltd

Lables in 1972:
Wendy Boston
Play Safe Toy

Mohair bears did not carry a label with washing instructions:no:

The foot & paw pads of the Wendy Boston bear in the first picture is made of velveteen. A lot of bears that were made after WWII have velveteen foot and paw pads.

Some companies started to use plastic eyes after WWII. The safe plastic eyes is a Wendy Boston patent.

[Pietero]

I'm also posting another photo of a poorly antique white bear whose neck joint is pretty much gone and his poor paw pads are worn through with the dark felt lining showing through. I don't know what he is either?

The shape of the head, eye placing and nose looks a lot like the bears form the "Erris Toys" (circa 1947)

[oldbearsandfriends]

The shape of the head, eye placing and nose looks a lot like the bears form the "Erris Toys" (circa 1947)



Hi there, fellow teddy lovers.

I agree with the above, he dose have this look..


Some great information the Elize..thank you :Winking:

[Mandicrafts]

Thanks for the info. I've never heard of Erris Toys. Are they American?

[elize]

Erris Toys is from Ireland and teddy bears were made of cotton plush. They were made at Elly Bay and bore the Erris Toys trademark until c. 1953 and changed then to "Tara Toys. The bear in the picture has got a rare label "Bréagáin lorruis Na Gaeltachta" and that means "Erris Toys; made in the Gaeltacht".
Cotton plush is typical of the era.
Eyes: glass, pale orange & black
Muzzle: inset muzzle with T-shape seam
Nose:horizontally stitched, triangular, black embroidered and worn away
Ears: flat ears sewn across facial seam

[Mandicrafts]

Ears: flat ears sewn across facial seam



My little white bear's ears are actually tucked in the face seam too, so are folded at the inner sides so may not be Erris? I don't think its cotton plush either. What fur is left (he is quite bald in spots, but has good coverage on the back) seems to be mohair.

[Mandicrafts]

With the ear style, I think this bear is American. The tucked in the seam edge, is typical of American made bears. I did get him from the USA. Perhaps an old Ideal bear? Some of the descriptions seem to match with the close set eyes and pointy toes and hands and football shaped body.

[elize]

Let's try to establish a TIME LINE on the identifying features of the bear::
- Kapok was introduced after 1920 as a stuffing for toys as it is less vulnerable than wood wool and much softer.
- Post-WWI glass eyes were introduced, either colored or cleared or painted on the back (but eyes could have been replaced).
With our information so far, let's assume the bear was made after 1920

Can you post us a close-up picture of the body so that we can see the material?
Is the muzzle an inset (loose part) or has the bear got a gusset and 2 side head pieces?