Playthings Past and Present
by Dee Hockenberry

   The time—July 24, 1847. The place—Giengen en Brenz, Germany. The event—the birth of a third daughter to Maria and Friedrich Steiff. The child was christened Apollonia Margarete, but subsequently was known by her second name. No one could guess that this tiny morsel of humanity, and the ensuing events, would forever more impact the toy and collecting world.
   At the tender age of eighteen months Margarete contracted polio, a dreaded and debilitating disease. Her parents tried everything available to procure a full recovery, but their efforts were futile. The child was destined to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair for her left foot was totally paralyzed, her right foot was lame and she had only partial use of her right arm. Perhaps a lighter spirit would bemoan the slings and arrows that fate had bestowed, but Margarete proved to have strength, courage and a will to become far more than most women of her generation.
   Margarete Steiff attended school and was even carried, by stronger children, to some of her classes. She learned to sew on a machine and, though painful, became proficient in hand needlework as well. With the completion of her education she was employed as a dressmaker and succeeded not only because of her skill, but as a result of her vibrant personality. She was always a joy to be associated with.
   In 1880, she made her first toy fashioned of felt and stuffed with lambs wool. The tiny elephant delighted the children who received it; as it did the adults who used it as a pin cushion. She even sold a few (although production was limited, reaching only 29 by 1882). Soon new animals were created. Ten years later, this extraordinary woman had formed a company and applied for patents to make other playthings.
   Margarete never married, but her siblings did and, to this day, their progeny carries on what she began. It was her brother Fritz who was the chief instrument in helping her company gain a foothold. He realized his plans, with the aid of five of his six sons, and soon the Steiff organization became a legitimate and successful enterprise. On March 3, 1893 the business was registered at the Chamber of Commerce and employed fourteen workers, ten of whom worked at home. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
   Her nephew, Richard, one of Fritz sons, was an artist of remarkable ability and a driving force behind the creative designs. He often sketched animals at the zoo and in 1902 was inspired to devise a bear with articulated limbs and head. This toy was listed in the firm’s records and premiered at the Leipzig Toy Fair in 1903. “Baerle” was string jointed through inner discs and, although many were made and offered, none seemed to have survived. The next model was jointed by metal rods and, while extremely rare, they do surface on occasion.
   So begins the saga of the Teddy Bear, a phenomenal soft toy named after a President of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt. While teddies have remained the all time popular product in Steiff’s line, the magnificent animals, dolls, and other wonders are adored by generations of children and adult collectors alike. So now it’s show time. Let the music begin.
   Steiff’s first catalog was published in 1892 and cats were an integral part of their program. A striped tabby on wheels holding a mouse in its mouth and a sitting tabby were illustrated and available in several sizes. Data from that same reference material shows that cat skittles, cats riding on velocipedes and as pin cushions were also offered.

   Real cats have been worshipped, endowed with mystical powers and above all proven to be the pet of choice for millions of devotees the world over. It is no wonder, then, that each and every year the company has produced felines in every form to satisfy the demand.

   Neighs, brays, bleats, moos. They are all music to the ears of those interested in farm animals. From the 1920s pig, whose snout was gauze and possessed a mighty side pushed squeaker, to the latest in soft plush, the barn collection has always appealed. The progression of fabrics is interesting, as well. Felt, velvet, coat wool, mohair, dacron, trevira velvet and soft man-made plush have all had their place over the years.

   From the lowly field mouse Pieps to the exotic bat Eric, the Steiff range encompasses most animals found in the great out-doors. In 1897 a sitting squirrel and in 1913 a jointed fox were added to the line, but most garden and wood varieties were introduced around 1920. The greatest preponderance can be found in the post-World War II period, when their output and export reached its hey-day.

   Next to cats and dogs, rabbits appear to be the most desirable animal in the adult marketplace. One sometimes tends to forget that Steiff products were originally meant for children, but fortunately they like bunnies too, so the collector has no problem seeing his collection multiply.
   Rabbits have been made in great quantities since 1900 because, for one thing, they were and are the obvious choice for inclusion in Easter baskets. One of the most interesting, and one of the most difficult to find, is the Holland rabbit. Besides being jointed five ways (head and four legs), the ears were also articulated and thus could move in a natural way.
   There have been many fascinating rabbit products over the years, so their popularity is not surprising. Peter Rabbit, produced for the English market in 1905, emulated Beatrix Potter’s tale and wears a felt jacket and slippers. Another character from children’s literature was Jack Rabbit (also dressed). Jack was fashioned in two sizes from 1927 to 1931. Because only 2,780 examples were manufactured, it is easy to fathom the rarity value.
   The 1950s brought a multitude of other designs. Manni, made in sizes from 3 ½ inches up, has proven to be a perennial favorite. Another rarity, is a jointed rabbit much like the same decade’s Niki, except he sports tremendous ears. He is named Turnip Rabbit, but actually holds a large orange carrot. Whatever one desires, Steiff seems to have satisfied aficionados wants when it comes to the bunny brigade.
 
   Elephants have a special significance in the Steiff Company. Although the camel was actually the first registered trademark, that bit of history seems to have fallen by the wayside and is barely acknowledged.
   The first toy, released by the founder’s nimble fingers, was an elephant and this fact is obviously noteworthy. From 1897 until sometime in the third decade of the twentieth century, when the Teddy Bear took precedence, the elephant became the company’s logo. The first paper label used in 1897 and 1898 was square, attached by string and showed the mighty beast with trunk upraised. From 1900 to 1904 a round, thin cardboard tag appeared and also depicted an elephant with trunk upraised.

   The first button Steiff identification mark, used in the left ear, was of silver colored metal and featured an embossed elephant. Since this was in use for a scant two years and is mostly found on rod bears and animals, a piece with this identification mark is highly coveted.

   One of the rarest uses for a primate in the Steiff program was as a radiator cap designed in 1912/1913. The Steiff brothers were the first to own a vehicle in Giengen and this original advertising ploy was promptly implemented. The chimp model came nattily chapeaued in a chauffeur’s cap and held a brass steering wheel.
   The company’s primates have extraordinary appeal and have been produced since 1892. The many innovative examples include the early, string jointed circus clowns, roly polies, and even one smoking a cigar. Baboons, gorillas and orangutans are a few of the species, but the most recognizable is Jocko the Chimp, a long time favorite.
   Wild animals roam from the plains of the American west to the African Serengeti. Every continent on earth teems with fauna striving to survive in their natural habitat. Many animals are endangered and we can only hope and do our bit to make sure, delightful though they are, that Steiff’’s replicas are not the only way we can see them.

   A stroll through the Safari and Game Preserve of Steiff is an education in itself. Many people had never heard of an okapi until they encountered the three sizes in the Steiff program. How clever to choose a little known African animal of unusual beauty and make it famous.

   When Admiral Byrd’s expedition to the South Pole in the 1920s made headlines world wide, the interest in this territory and its wildlife became of major importance. All sorts of characters based on Byrd’s exploration soon hit the toy shop scene. It was then that Steiff introduced the penguin. Called King Peng, it had the universal mechanism that allowed head movement by levering the tail. Also fitted with a hook in its open mouth, to carry messages, this penguin has a high rarity value since less than 1,700 were made. Other penguins have since been available, notably Peggy, a long time favorite.
   Many other animals who live in or around the water are also part of the company’s product line.

   What child doesn’t like to play with a puppet? It is a simple toy and yet can stretch imagination to the fullest. Steiff made a marionette bear in 1910 and a plush example fifty years later, but the largest production runs have been the hand puppets. They have ranged from sizes that are so tiny they are meant to be worn on the fingers to ones that fit over the forearm. The finger puppets came out in 1968 and are known as The Musicians of Bremen. The four 2.75 inch animals are a donkey, dog, cat and a rooster. Most hand puppets have stayed in production on and off since 1920.
   One would have to be privy to the Steiff archives to get a look at any dolls prior to the first decade of the twentieth century. A number of dolls in regional costumes were offered in 1892 and it is generally believed that the heads were bought from another firm. In 1897 a variety of dolls, including seven dressed monkeys, were featured in the catalog. Two years later, dolls were vigorously designed and it is interesting to note that they were string jointed in the manner of the first Teddy Bear.

   In 1902, the factory began a series of amusing character figures that continued into the 1920s. Large feet, exaggerated knees and a variety of big noses were among the features implemented. The noses were possible to design since the all felt dolls had center face seams. There were military men, national costumed dolls from various countries, a large group depicting cartoon and nursery rhyme personages, clowns of every description, cowboys, schoolteachers, children and a great deal more. The list seems endless.

   From 1921 to 1925, Albert Schlopsnies worked with the company producing his own celluloid head design. The faces were softly painted, on the inside, to give a flesh colored glow much like the complexion of the children they were emulating. Since less than 9,200 were manufactured (and presumably the heads were apt to get crushed), the dolls are quite rare.
   The 1930s and 1940s saw the emergence of a molded, pressed felt head. These dolls were also modeled after children and bore names such as Ruth, Rosemarie, Hedy and Frieder. Most of these dolls had painted eyes but a small quantity had eyes made of glass.
   After the war, and the 1950s especially, a new breed of doll-like figures was introduced. In 1951 Mecki, a dressed hedgehog with a poured latex head, was fashioned after a creation by Ferdinand Diehl. Mecki, his wife Micki and children Mucki and Macki, were heroes of magazine and film fame. Soon Santa Claus and a goodly number of animals incorporated the rubbery heads as well. This period was also the time when an enormous number of charmingly dressed animals took center stage.
   Many of these toys remained in the program, because of their popularity, in the following ten years. The next decade saw soft, unjointed dolls and a group of vinyl workmen. Beginning in 1970, beautifully dressed children and storybook characters all strove to keep Steiff in the doll marketplace. During that era, and into the next decade, a group of reproduction dolls made it possible for adults to own a sampling of early designs.
   Although the Steiff Company is known primarily for its soft toys, they have, over the years, presented playthings in other mediums as well. Blocks, kites, wagons, trucks and tractors are just a few of the many things encountered bearing a Steiff logo.
   It is certainly interesting to see prototypes that were never manufactured, even though one can’t ordinarily purchase them. Aside from this type of novelty, there are other oddities that are available if one searches hard enough. Certainly Peck the germ falls into this category.
   Hide a Gifts (designed to do exactly what the name implies), footstools, skittles and a host of other wonders help to make the name Steiff synonymous with imagination.
 
   The above information was excerpted from Steiff Bears and Other Playthings Past and Present by Dee Hockenberry. Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Atglen, Pennsylvania. For orders and information, please call (610) 593-1777; fax (610) 593-2002 or visit their website at www.schiffer.com
   Author and bear enthusiast, Dee Hockenberry has written several books for Schiffer including Bear Sightings: In Everyday Life (1999) and The Big Bear Book (1996). The latter concentrates on bears and their makers while the most recent shows images of bears on everyday objects.
   Additional bear titles by Schiffer include Bing Bears and Toys (2000), Teddy Bears and Stuffed Animals: Hermann Teddy Originals®, 1913-1998 (1999), The Bear Made Me Buy It: Product Advertising Bears (1999), and Bears with An Attitude: Promotional Advocate Toys (2000).