Most of us know about Douglas Spedden's toy bear, known as Polar.
My attention has been drawn to another bear. This was supposedly given to the restaurant manager, Gaspare Gatti by his young son, Vittorio. It is said that when Gatti's body was recovered by Minia he was found to have a meerschaum pipe in a pocket, plus the little bear, which was about 6" tall.
The bear was returned to Gatti's widow, who kept it for many years. In 1990, she gave it to the Museum of Childhood in Ribchester, Lancashire.
In 1995, the museum closed and the bear was sold to an unknown buyer.
My source is In the Company of Bears, by Prue Theobalds, but the tale is also on a number of websites.
The weakness in the touching tale is that neither the bear nor the pipe is mentioned in the list of belongings found on Gatti's body.
Would anybody like to comment?
My attention has been drawn to another bear. This was supposedly given to the restaurant manager, Gaspare Gatti by his young son, Vittorio. It is said that when Gatti's body was recovered by Minia he was found to have a meerschaum pipe in a pocket, plus the little bear, which was about 6" tall.
The bear was returned to Gatti's widow, who kept it for many years. In 1990, she gave it to the Museum of Childhood in Ribchester, Lancashire.
In 1995, the museum closed and the bear was sold to an unknown buyer.
My source is In the Company of Bears, by Prue Theobalds, but the tale is also on a number of websites.
The weakness in the touching tale is that neither the bear nor the pipe is mentioned in the list of belongings found on Gatti's body.
Would anybody like to comment?