LEMP EST. (ANN MARIE) ADORABLE ANTIQUE COLLECTIBLE MOHAIR HUMP BACK BEAR

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For your consideration from the estate of New York socialite and Lemp heiress extraordinare, Ann Marie Konta Brewer is an adorable antique collectible mohair bear with a hump back. This collectible cutie measures approximately 17" H x 5 " W and is in very good antique condition, no tears, rips, or stains. He is stuffed with excelsor and his fur is a plush soft mohair. He does not have a noise maker, but he is jointed. Everything on this wonderful collectible is original to the 1920's except for the pads, which her Uncle Edwin paid to have replaced. If you would like to hear the story, I will be happy to send it to you along with this cute and cuddly bear. Ann Marie grew up as a wealthy Lemp heiress on Fifth Avenue in New York. From the time she was very young Ann Marie loved Steiff's and other high quality bears and continued to collect them well into adulthood. Ann Marie travelled extensively like all members of her family, so this bear could have been purchased anywhere. Sorry, I'm not a bear collector so I'm not going to offer a guess as to whether this is a Steiff or another brand name and offend the experts. There are many qualified experts online that could probably answer that question for you. We know you will love adding this fantastic antique collectible" cute and cuddly" bear to your collection. Teddy Bears : One of the most notable births of the 20th century was that of the teddy bear, the delight and comfort of children and adults for over one hundred years. There are two claims for the invention of the teddy bear. One belongs to German toy designer, Richard Stieff, who is said to have seen performing bears in a circus when he visited America. This gave him the idea for a new toy: a bear that had jointed arms and legs and could turn its head, just like a doll. In 1903, he exhibited his new toy, called Friend Petz, at the Leipzig Spring Toy Fair. Meanwhile, in the USA in 1902, President Theadore (Teddy) Roosevelt went on a hunting trip which was unsuccessful.The story goes that his aides procured a bear cub for him to shoot to compensate for his lack of success but he refused to shoot it. The following day a cartoon illustrating the incident appeared in newspapers all over the United States. It was seen by Morris Michtom, the owner of a Brooklyn candy store, and it sparked off the idea for a new toy, Teddy's bear. He worked out the design for a jointed bear and his wife made them. Sold in their candy store, Teddy's bear was an immediate hit. It was such a success that the store was closed and Michtom started the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, one the largest toy companies in the world today.From these small beginnings teddy bears have become one of the most popular toys ever with toy manufacturers in Britain, Europe and America making their own versions of the teddy. Actor, Peter Bull, was one of the most prominent teddy bear collectors and probably one of the people who helped to make collecting bears as popular as it is today. He toured the USA with his collection and the teddy bear that appeared in Brideshead Revisited belonged to him. Sotheby's held the first teddy bear auction in 1982 and the world record price for a bear is £110,000 at Christies South Kensington paid for a bear belonging to Colonel Bob Henderson and bought by a Japanese collector who is said to have booked the bear his own first class seat to fly back to Japan. /collecting_teddy_bears#module10880126 Ann Marie Konta Brewer was a Lemp heiress and New York sociallite. She was the granddaughter of Anna Lemp and Alexander Konta. Her father Geoffrey Konta was a Yale graduate and a lawyer to Hollywood royalty and the social and political elite. Ann Marie was also a prominent N.Y. sociallite and because of her father's connections met many rich and famous people around the world. She had homes in Italy, New York and Chicago. She was also married four times, so while she was lucky in many ways, she was unlucky in marriage. I call her Ann Marie Konta Brewer so as not to confuse people, but... read more

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