Paddington: The Bear From Peru
Paddington Bear was a visitor to the UK from “darkest Peru” whose adventures were recorded by his author Michael Bond and his main illustrator Peggy Fortnum.
Paddington was a long-haired honey-colored teddy bear that arrived at busy Paddington Station in London in 1958 after a long sea voyage from Peru. (It’s rumored that he spent the whole time in a lifeboat because he was a stowaway.) The little bear wore a floppy bush hat and had with him a jar of marmalade and a battered suitcase. His suitcase had a magical compartment that housed his belongings and carried a label “Wanted on Voyage.” He also had a tag around his neck that said, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” His Aunt Lucy had raised Paddington after he had been orphaned during an earthquake. But now she was retiring, living in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima, and so had sent him to England to live.
Luckily for him, he was discovered by the humans Henry and Mary Brown who took him into their family. And the Brown family was never the same after that. When asked what his name was, the bear said they probably couldn’t pronounce it since it was Peruvian. So the Browns named him Paddington from the railroad station where they had found him. His Peruvian name, Pastuso after his uncle Pastuzo, is revealed in a later story. But Paddington likes his new name and thereafter introduces himself as Paddington Brown.
Although Paddington is now shown with duffle and boots in addition to his floppy hat, he didn’t arrive in London with them. His blue duffel coat was given to him by the Browns shortly after they adopted him; his Wellington boots were a Christmas present in the 1964 book Paddington Marches On.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, along with their kids Jonathan and Judy, lived at the fictitious address of 32 Windsor Gardens in London. Many of Paddington’s adventures were about the surrounding area and the people who lived there. Of particular interest was the Browns’ next-door neighbor, Mr. Curry, who always seemed to get in trouble.
Many of Paddington’s (mis)adventures occurred because of his lack of understanding of something and his subsequent endeavors to make it right. But he was always polite, optimistic and kindhearted, although if he didn’t approve of someone he would stare hard at him. And at the end of his adventures he ends up on top of the situation and everybody can laugh at it (except Mr. Curry).
Bond based Paddington bear on a lone teddy bear he saw on a Selfridges store shelf near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve 1956. Bond felt sorry for the bear, so he bought it as a present for his wife Brenda. Soon after that Bond started writing stories about the little bear and by the end of 10 days had ended up with a whole book. The book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published on October 13, 1958. Bond called the bear Paddington because Bond and his wife were living near the station. Paddington is patterned after the Spectacled Bear from Peru.
At the time he wrote his first Paddington book, Bond was a BBC TV cameraman for the popular children’s show Blue Peter, a profession he continued until 1965. Bond still retains the publishing rights even though Paddington Bear and its copyright and trademark have been owned by Vivendi’s Studiocanal since June 2016.
The first Paddington stuffed teddy bear was made by Shirley Clarkson in 1972 for her children Joanna and Jeremy. Clarkson’s company, Gabrielle Designs, became the first company to receive a license to make official Paddington toys. Their first bears wore boots made by Dunlop to help Paddington stand upright. However, Dunlop couldn’t keep up with the demand and the boots are now made by Gabrielle Designs.
Paddington continues to be a very popular bear. He has appeared in more than 20 books written by Bond and illustrated by several artists in addition to Fortnum, plus animated television, films and commercials. The books have been translated into 40 languages and have sold millions of copies.
A Paddington 2 film is currently being made and is scheduled to be released in November 2017. Paddington is voiced in both films by actor Ben Whishaw. In 2014, to celebrate the release of the first Paddington film, the London Museum held an exhibit on Paddington’s life titled “A Bear Named Paddington.”
In 2006 a bronze Paddington bear was placed in the Paddington rail station. In 2014 more than 50 Paddington bears, all individually designed, were scattered around London on the Paddington Bear Trail to celebrate the city’s art and culture. The bears were later auctioned off and the proceeds given to charity.
After all, who wouldn’t love a little teddy bear who manages to get in and out of trouble, all the while peering out from under his bush hat? He has a knack for touching audiences of all ages and backgrounds. He is universally loved. Although Paddington continues to make London his home, he really stays alive in the hearts of all his fans.