In the entrepeneural days of the early 1900's , two directors of Dean & Son, the well known book publishers, began a small screen printing works making rag dolls. In 1902, they experimented with printing a rag book on calico. This was sold to the Edwardians and was an instant sucess - so much so that the following year, on August 5th, 1903, The Dean's Rag Book company was formed. The chairman was Captain Henry Samuel Dean.
Rag books were closely followed by photograph albums, postcard albums and printed doll sheets. Business was booming and after a move to the Elephant & Castle, the Dean's logo was soon one of London's landmarks.
During the First World War, Dean's, as well as other toy manufacturers, diversified into other merchandise to made up for the lack of imports from Germany and Austria. And so it was that in 1915 the first Dean's "Kuddlemee" catalogue the first of two mohair bears made by Dean's were offered for sale.
Dean's scored a first when in 1930 they persuaded Walt Disney to grant a license to produce a toy of Mickey Mouse, and was the first manufacturer to do so. Other characters followed: Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Lucky Oswald, Popey and many others.
World War Two saw Dean's involved in the War effort and toy production was very lmited. The period of austerity after the War was difficult for everyone in Britain and it took Dean's a number of years for production to reach its pre-war level. In 1955 the company left London and moved to Rye in Sussex on England's south coast. At this time, dolls began to be less important than bears and the Golliwog had something of a renaissance after being in the Dean's range for almost 50 years. An association with Gwentoys began in 1968, and in 1972 the two companies merged. Rye was eventually closed down in 1980 and all production since that time has been based at Pontypool.
There have been a number of changes of ownership of Dean's in the post-war period and it was in March, 1988 that Neil and Barbara Miller purchased Dean's and have given stability to the Company.
And so the circle is complete - a company that began as a family owned company is once more a family business.
Please sit back and enjoy our selection of Dean's Bears.
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Lemon Sorbet 13" tall L/E #44/100 Made of a soft pile light gold mohair $194.00 |
Peppermint Cream 13" tall L/E #134/1000 Made of light mint colored morhiar with a curly pile Paw pads and inner ears are made of a cream short pile mohair $234.00 |
Billie Jean 15" tall L/E #60/200 Made of a straight piled lilac mohair Inside of ears and muzzle are shaved Has a multi-colored nose $225.00 |
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Gladys 18" tall L/E #83/300 Brand new design for 2001 Made of gold mohair with extra long arms allowing them to be folded She wears a red & white gingham apron $300.00 |
Mr. Bumble 16" tall L/E #65/100 Made of beige colored mohair with a dark brown tip He has bee-print paw pads and holds a bumble bee $370.00 |
Alan 13" tall L/E #8/300 Made of short ginger straight pile mohair $200.00 |
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Bronze Part of the Elite Series 24" tall L/E #59/60 Made of long pile super soft bronze/brown mohair with dark tips He has bronze pads and paws $750.00 |
Skippy & Wally L/E 1000 each Skippy is 10" tall, #51, made of golden distressed mohair Wally is 14" tall, #56, made of cream mohair with black strands, giving him an all over grey/brown look. Skippy $185.00 & Wally $250.00 |
Alex21" tall L/E #56/300 Designed by Linda Klay Using her technique of contrasting mohair for different parts of the body, he has dark green "overalls" and the rest of him is made in a curly golden mohair. $445.00 |
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Dickon Designed by Janet Clark 20" tall L/E #47/300 Made from a high quality beige mohair and is dressed in a knitted seater and strangely designed trousers. $566.00 |
Shane 14" tall L/E #53/300 Made of black/brown curly mohair. $246.00 |
Violet 25" tall L/E #66/180 Made in a stunning long pile crimped violet mohair $$570.00 |