Arctophiles
Just in case you have never heard of the word Arctophile before
, the word means Teddy Bear Lover. It comes from the Greek words, Arktos (meaning bear) and Phile (meaning lover).
All around the word you will find lots of Arctophiles and for some, this immense love of the teddy bear has driven them to start up specialist websites (such as Ginos Bears) and to write books on the subject, researching why the teddy bear evokes such passion with people. One of the greatest Teddy Bear lovers of our time is the late Colonel Robert Henderson, owner of the famous Teddy Girl'.
Colonel Robert Henderson - 1904 1990 - Colonel Robert Henderson, born in 1904, just two years after the first teddy bear was born. When his brother, Charles was given a beautiful Steiff centre seam cinnamon Teddy Bear for his birthday, Robert just fell head-over-heels in love with it. Robert so coveted this bear that eventually ownership was passed on to him.
The young Robert Henderson loved playing soldiers and there are indeed numerous photographs taken of the young Robert playing soldiers' with his lovely Teddy Boy companion.
As a young soldier, Robert Henderson would become well known for always carrying a small teddy bear companion with him at all times, just like the famous A.A. Milne, who always carried a mascot dog with him in his pocket. During the North West European campaign, Robert Henderson served under the famous General Montgomery.
In Henderson's house in Edinburgh, Scotland, there was a big collection of both teddy bears and teddy bear ephemera, many items being given to him by family and friends who knew of his love of the teddy bear. Amongst his collection were teddy bear rattles, a bear rug and many photographs.
In 1955, Henderson retired from the Royal Scots Regiment, after serving as a Firearms Expert, it was then that he devoted his life to the study of teddy bears, in particular mans great relationship with the teddy. What we have to remember though, is, in those days, his research must have raised more than a few eyebrows, especially being a Scotsman with a background like his. Henderson began recording people's many reminiscences and tales of teddy bears in their lives. Over the years, he certainly built up a great deal of knowledge. He made very good friends with fellow Arctophile, Peter Bull and when Bull wrote his famous book called Bear With Me' which was published in 1969, it was Bob Henderson who offered both his support and knowledge. Henderson also helped in supporting the organisation, Good Bears of the World, a charitable organisation giving teddy bears to poor children around the world.
The Colonel's daughter, Cynthia was born in 1942 and it was then that Henderson's beautiful Teddy Bear underwent a sex change and became Teddy Girl, after she was once dressed for dinner in a frilly dress.
Henderson always kept his family of teddy bears and teddy ephemera completely detached from the financial world. He saw his teddy bears as benign, helpful creatures who brought love and comfort to people, their financial value being of no importance. After all, how can you put a price on such great friendship.
In 1983, Henderson wrote that Teddy Bears open the way towards an inner enlightenment of life, that leads to a fundamental new step in human consciousness: "It is this revelation and the Christian spirit behind and within the Good Bears of the World movement and it's influence on the waters of human consciousness to which praise should be given, not the Teddy Bear itself, for Teddy is but the symbol representing the functioning of the spirit within one, and this link between the noumenal and phenomenal realms of existence."
Upon Henderson's death in 1990, his collection of teddy bears and ephemera made a brief appearance in Australia before being returned to England where it went to auction. In December 1994 Teddy Girl, Henderson's beautiful and much loved teddy bear, who was his constant companion and who travelled everywhere with him, sold at Christie's in South Kensington, London for a staggering 110,000. She now resides at the Izu Teddy Bear Museum in Japan where she is the star attraction.
Peter Bull - A character actor who played in films, as well as stage in London's West End and on Broadway. Like Colonel Robert Henderson, Bull, both adored and confided in his Teddy Bear as a child and was absolutely devastated when his Mother gave his Teddy Bear to a jumble sale, where the poor old ted was lost forever. Peter Bull was sixteen at the time and was deeply scarred by his loss.
In 1969, Peter Bull published the famous book called Bear With Me' where he wrote at length about the therapeutic effects of the Teddy Bear on people's lives. By the late sixties, the teddy bear had become much more acceptable as an adult companion, especially after Elvis Presley took his teddy bear with him when conscripted for military service.
The response of the book was quite overwhelming and Bull was inundated with letters which included stories of the relationship people have with their teddy bear. These stories also came from all over the world. After writing about his own feeling for Teddy Bears, it seems he somehow broke down many barriers and the stigma attached to adults and their teddy bears.
For the rest of Bull's life, he was seen as the ultimate authority on anything at all concerning the Teddy Bear. Accompanying Bull on his many travels and television interviews was his 3 inch teddy bear friend who he called Theodore. However, when Bull was invited for tea with Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Longworth, Theodore stayed at home, as Mrs Longworth refused to let any teddy bear enter her home, declaring that she hated them.
Upon Peter Bull's death in 1995, Theodore, his little Steiff Teddy Bear was sold at auction for 14,625, an illustration of just how provenance and history can add immense value to a Teddy Bear.
I end this article on a cheerful note. Due to Arctophile's like Henderson and Bull, we no longer have to live in the dark, hiding our love of teddy bears. Now we can declare our love of the Teddy Bear openly to the world and no longer will owning a teddy bear have a childish or even eccentric view to it. So love your Teddy Bears!
Arctophiles
By: Gino Bear
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