New fashion? Creative flow?

When I first saw this miracle - a head doll with the body of a bear, my reaction was rather negative. I didn't get the point. Why why? For what? What did the author mean by this?

I got interested and began to look for answers. It turned out that the history of Teddy Doll is over 100 years old.

The idea to combine the graceful head of a porcelain doll and the awkward body of a bear appeared in the 1900s. Such a doll is also called a snowy baby. Snowbabydoll.

The creation of the first Teddy Doll is associated with the history of Arctic exploration by Robert Peary, or rather with his daughter, Mary Peary. Robert Peary and his wife Josephine lived in Greenland, where Peary had a research station to organize expeditions to the Arctic. In 1893, a daughter, Mary, was born to Robert and Josephine.

Robert Peary

The public at that time closely followed Peary's expeditions, and the personal life of the researcher was also in focus. Many then wondered why the Peary family, including his little daughter, lived in such harsh conditions? The main clothing for people in such conditions is, as you know, furs. The attire of the polar explorers of that time consisted mainly of overalls made from reindeer skins. The hood was an integral part of the jumpsuit. Mittens and shoes were also made of fur. In general, the person was practically in a fur cocoon, only the face remained open. 

Mary Peary,

children of Yakutia

The photographs of the blond, blue-eyed Mary, dressed in Arctic fur, published in the newspapers delighted the public and became very popular.

The idea of creating a toy based on this image was immediately taken up by several companies. This is how the "Snowgirl" doll, based on Mary's likeness, came into being.

Snow girl

This is an example of a doll, in its original box, covered in blue paper with white stars, reminiscent of the polar sky. Doll height (28 cm) with a porcelain head combined with a woolen suit.

The technique of creating Teddy bears with movable head and paws was developed in 1902. And it was not difficult to apply this technique on the doll. The body and legs (arms, legs) were made in the image and likeness of Teddy, and instead of a bear's head, a head was attached to the body, consisting of a porcelain face and a hood glued to it. The stuffing of the head in the hood was done in the same way as in the bear, and the head was also attached to the body on a movable disc mount. 

Snow girl

There is another story about the appearance of Teddy Doll, though a sadder one.

Before the war, there was a happy family - mom, dad and two children, a boy and a girl.

Brother and sister, like all children on New Year's Eve, dreamed of gifts. They wanted to get something from the fabulous window of the big toy store next door, and of course their wishes came true. Santa Claus gave the girl a young lady doll. My brother received a teddy bear as a present. The children loved their toys very much, played with them often and vowed that they would be inseparable.

Years passed, the war began, my father was taken to the front. The grown-up boy once did not return home in search of work and food. And the mother and daughter were evacuated to another city.

I will not describe all the difficulties and hardships that people had to endure during those years.

But time passed, the war ended, the girl grew up. One day she returned to her hometown. Their house was destroyed, looking around she found the ruins that used to be called her room. Memories flooded the girl, the bitterness of the loss of relatives, her heart sank. Under the collapsed rotten furniture was found her brother's teddy bear. The bear was completely spoiled, badly burned, the nose melted, the body was swollen from dampness. Under the rubble of the children's table, the girl found her young lady. The dress of her favorite doll was completely spoiled. The porcelain handles fell apart as soon as she touched them, but the doll's face was preserved, cracked in places, and the colors faded.

Arriving home, the girl and her mother hugged the found toys for a long time and cried, remembering their own men and everything they had experienced.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to completely restore the Mishka and the doll. But then a completely new toy came out. She was so unusual! It was clearly a bear, but the face of a doll. The toy was interesting and fantastic, very similar to that young lady. It seemed as if she was preparing for the New Year's carnival and put on a bear costume. The girl took the toy, looked into her eyes and whispered: "We will always be together!"

Vintage Toy TeddyDoll

So I consider my Teddidolls as kids in costumes of bears, hares, chanterelles ...

Author Minina Marina

Each doll author has his own unique Teddy Doll. Someone works in a shabby chic style with an abundance of lace, ribbons, beads and delicate shades. Someone has a Teddidoll in the style of antique felted fur with frayed clothes, patched clothes, dyed with coffee or tea.

Author Minina Marina

I love hares. My Teddidolls transformed into Bunny Doll (rabbit doll, Zaya doll). It seems that my imagination will not run out, creating new and new images.

BunnyDoll

Having learned the story of Teddidoll, I passionately and dearly fell in love with this toy. I hope, after reading this article, you will look at Teddy Doll with different eyes and fall in love with this unusual doll with a story.

Author Minina Marina

Instagram @mininadolls