J. K. Farnell

J. K. Farnell

John Kirby Farnell or J. K. Farnell was a London company which manufactured the first British teddy bear in 1906.

Founded in Notting Hill, the firm was started in 1840 by a silk merchant, John Kirby Farnell, and made items such as pin cushions and tea cosies. After Farnell's death, his children, Henry and Agnes, continued the business from Acton in West London. They produced soft toys, moving from rabbit skin to mohair. Farnell rapidly became one of the leading teddy bear manufacturers, registering the Alpha trademark in 1925. "The Teddy Bear Encyclopedia" states that the Alpha Bear inspired the creation of Winnie the Pooh. [ [http://collectibles.about.com/od/bearresources/p/blPFfarnell.htm Collectibles] ] The company premises were destroyed by fire in 1934 and by bombing in 1940. It finally ceased trading in the 1960s and the Farnell name was taken over by Merrythought in 1996. [ [http://www.tedsanddolls.co.uk/farnell.html Teds & Dolls] ]

The first Farnell bears closely resembled their German Steiff counterparts, having pointed muzzles, long limbs, humpbacks and webbed toes. Early Farnell bears also had boot-button eyes which were replaced by painted glass ones. The soles were of felt and reinforced with cardboard.

External links

* [http://www.luckybears.com/encyclopaedia_farnell.asp Lucky Bears Limited]

References


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