202 'TEDDY'
by Sarah McGregor (Fl. 1869-1910)

In this painting we see a shared moment between two sisters, caring for a much loved teddy. This is a special moment when Teddy is being groomed and dressed for an occasion, - he already has his trousers on, and soon it will be time to tie the thin red ribbon on his other wrist. At first it seems there is no order of events as the older sister carefully combs the thick golden fur on his chest. But now we realise why the little one is so absorbed. She has just realised how easy it is to pull a bow and is just about to undo the one on Teddy's right paw now. What a game it's turning into! It's so fascinating for a very young child to realise she can unwittingly tease her sister. Fortunately patience is the order of the morning, or there could be a scene.

Victorians brought up their children to solid family values, - the little girls were encouraged to practise being motherly towards the youngest in the family. Demonstration with teddies, dolls and family pets was the only way to achieve this. The togetherness of the composition is evocative.

Today, a hundred years on, late Victorian and other teddy bears from the past are keenly collected. In the market towns up and down the country, specialist shops display windows of collectable teddies and dolls. Books, even encyclopaedias - just on teddies - are published and sell many thousands of copies. Interest in these cuddly, fluffy creatures is immense, but mostly due to our own personal childhood affection. It seems impossible to imagine there are children without a teddy bear. Oh, how sad for those who have never had one!

It would be exciting to think that this painting by Sarah McGregor records an actual moment in the existence of one such teddy - a well-made teddy that was looked after by its various owners, lay for seventy years in a hat box in someone's attic, and now survives in pride of place in a present-day collection. Alas we may never know?