The following treasure is from the living estate of Ailene & Buddy Ford; noted dealers and lifelong collectors of exceptional antique & vintage heirlooms. Presented for your consideration this original brown mohair Steiff Bear with small silver button circa 1969, original bow and wonderful glass eyes ***Weight : 1# 5 oz. *** Measurements : 10 x 4.5 x 15.25" tall *** STEIFF BEARS *** The world's oldest bear is 96 years old, and is worth £100,000. He lives in Germany and was labeled a 'Teddy bear' after US President Theodore Roosevelt, who was an avid bear hunter, In 1912, a black bear was commissioned as a mark of respect after the Titanic tragedy, In 1902 in Giengen an der Brenz, northwest of Augsburg in Germany, the first teddy bear was created by Richard Steiff, a bear-admirer working in his Aunt Margarete's toy factory, The drawing of Pooh bear was based on the illustrator E. H. Shepard's son's Steiff bear, called Growler, A miniature 1950's bear called Theodore, which, at only 3 1/2 in tall and reputed to be one of the tiniest teddies ever, Steiff bears were given swivel limbs to make them easy to cuddle, a protruding black snout and leather or felt pads on their paws. Many had a humped back and some had stomachs fitted with a growler box. In 1908, the Grand Duke of Russia bought a red Steiff bear for his daughter, Princess Xenia Georgievna, which she called Alfonzo, In 1989 it was sold at Christie's for the then record figure of £12,100, The bear's popularity can be traced to when the famous Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman drew the cartoon 'Drawing the line in Mississippi' which was a comment on a border dispute the President was trying to resolve. The bear became known as Teddy's Bear and Berryman featured a bear cub in all future cartoons involving the president.

XA - DB10 - excellent condition