1907 Laughing Roosevelt Teddy Bear

After literally 20 years of searching, I have finally gotten one of the antique teddy bears that has long topped my wish list: the Laughing Roosevelt Bear made by Columbia of New York in 1907. This very rare novelty bear features a unique split wooden mouth with milk glass teeth. When his stomach is squeezed, his mouth opens, baring his teeth in a big grin.

 President Roosevelt was known for his wide, toothy grin, which he flashed defiantly at any obstacle or opposition. The original ad for the Laughing Roosevelt Bear reads: "Roosevelt Laughs and Shows His Teeth at his critics. So does the COLUMBIA made Teddy Bear...The Laughing Teddy Bear Laughs and Shows his Teeth at tight money, hard times and pessimists. He is the most Brilliant Stuffed Animal Success of Modern Times."

I've accessorized my Laughing Roosevelt Bear with a vintage patriotic ribbon, badge, straw hat, and a pipe (an antique Cracker Jack prize), which give him the look of a conventioneering politician. He's reading a book of jokes and riddles (another antique Cracker Jack prize), looking for a good one to use in his speech to the delegates.

Antique Photo: Tea Party with Mother (and Dollies)

I'm constantly on the lookout for old photos of children with toys, and it's always exciting to discover another one. I found this one last week in a box of rather forlorn scrapbook pages at an antique mall. Two sisters have been invited into mother's parlor for a little tea party, and they've brought their dollies:

The photo looks to be from the late 19teens to the early '20s, and has lots of interesting details: the mother's vintage dress and shoes, the girls' giant hair bows, the Arts & Crafts/Mission style furniture, the silver tea set, and, in the lower right corner, a miniature baby carriage full of dolls. Plus, if you look closely under the table, you'll see a crate that was set on end for the littlest girl's feet!

What Was In Tracy's Stocking?

Stocking stuffers are one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. The sight of a Christmas stocking bulging with mysterious small objects just makes my heart go pitter-patter. As miniature collectors know, very great things indeed can come in small packages, and this year Santa outdid himself.

My stocking held a couple of vintage 1940s MinToy dollhouse miniatures in their original packaging (a set of kitchen knives and a box of silverware); old dollhouse cakes; a 1920s-'30s Austrian-made celluloid dolly in a peanut; part of an antique miniature German teaset; a 1920s-'30s Old Maid card game; and a huge assortment of 1920s and '30s joke boxes. If you were reading the blog back on last April Fool's Day, you'll know that I have a passion for vintage pranks and jokes. I'm going to wait until this April to post the joke boxes properly, but here's everything else:

MinToy was a Chicago based manufacturer of dollhouse miniatures in the 1940s-'50s. Their motto was "The Big House of Little Things," and they made very nice things indeed. This carded set of kitchen utensils measures  4 1/2 inches, while the itty bitty box of silverware is just 2 1/8  inches.

Little dollies in peanut shaped molded cardboard containers were a mini-fad in the 1920s and '30s. This Austrian-made version features a celluloid doll with her original glass baby bottle. The peanut is 4 inches long.

This partial German dolly's tea set just delighted me. I love the colorful stripes, reminiscent of a circus tent. Circa the early 1900s-'20s, the teacups are 1 inch in diameter.

This Old Maid card game dates from the 1920s-'30s. It features fantastic caricature art: click on the photo to see the cards in more detail.

Lastly, a lot of wonderful old dollhouse cakes, dating between 1920-1960. Why all these dollhouse cakes? Because my biggest gift this year was an 1890s German dollhouse pastry shop or confectioner's. It needs a complete restoration, and then these cakes will fill its empty shelves...pictures to follow once it's all done!

Bliss Dollhouse

One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was this Bliss dollhouse from the early 1900s. The American made lithographed house is 11 1/2 inches tall, with the front opening to reveal two rooms inside, each with their original floor and wall papers. The two pillars, balcony, and "gutter" were originally lithographed too, but these papers have not survived. There's a lot of architectural interest to this little house, with its terracotta tiled roof, half-timbered construction, and oval leaded glass windows.

A little china head doll lives cozily inside:

Upstairs, two tiny Frozen Charlottes nap in their little bed. I love the floor paper in this room:

Downstairs, a tea has been laid on the little table:

Vintage American Dollhouse Grocery Shop

For Christmas this year, I received a couple of old dollhouse shops, the circa 1900 German example described earlier, and this, a 1950s American model of the "modern" grocery store. Measuring a full two feet wide, it's made of wood and fibreboard, and came filled with many of its original products along with its cash register, check out counter, meat counter, and striped awning.

This overhead view gives an idea of the store's layout:

Through the window, the checkout and dairy cooler are visible:

The meat counter features hanging hams, made of flat fiberboard with printed detail:

Most of the products are made of wood, wrapped with paper labels. I'm especially intrigued by the "Snappy Brand Cheese" in a can: whatever was this like?!