Figure 1.--
|
Figure 1.-- |
A French reader indicated that teddies ("nounours") were not common in France until the 1930s. Teddy bears are not as an effective indicator of gender as of chronology. They were, however, quite strongly associated with boys in France. Girls were much more likely to have dolls. A French reader reports, "I must add in France that little boys pften played with cloth-doll. After 1930, the mothers preferd to replace the doll with "nounours" (teddy bears) (pronounced: noo-noo-rs. Today all little French boys (sometime till 12 years old!) have a nounours. It is common for children in nursery school to bring their nounours to nursery school. So little boys often set off the nursery school with "nounours" in their backpacks. "Nounours" are now a very important companion for all French children. They often have many, but usually only one is there veryb favorite. Nowadays the classic teddy has been replaced by an other animal character such as Mickey Mouse or other according to the imagination of toy companies. finding in the shops. A French reader writes, "One of my daughters are very fond of "nounours" and has a huge collection. My little granson (5 years old) never forget to bring his favorite 'nounour' when he comes to visit."
The French word for teddybears is " nounours ". This is interesting because The Dutch, English, and Germans all use teddybears. The French, however, never accepted the American name.
A French reader indicated that teddies ("nounours") were not common in France until the 1930s. Today all little French boys (sometime till 12 years old!) have a nounours.
Teddy bears are not as an effective indicator of gender as of chronology. They were, however, quite strongly associated with boys in France. Girls were much more likely to have dolls. A French reader reports, "I must add in France that little boys pften played with cloth-doll. After 1930, the mothers preferd to replace the doll with "nounours" (teddy bears) (pronounced: noo-noo-rs. It is common for children in nursery school to bring their nounours to nursery school. So little boys often set off the nursery school with "nounours" in their backpacks. "Nounours" are now a very important companion for all French children. Although not as common a for oys, French girls also had teddies. A French reader writes, "One of my daughters are very fond of "nounours" and has a huge collection. My little granson (5 years old) never forget to bring his favorite 'nounour' when he comes to visit."
French choldren often have many, but usually only one is there very favorite. Nowadays the classic teddy has been replaced by an other animal character such as Mickey Mouse or other according to the imagination of toy companies. finding in the shops.
A French reader who grew up in thelate 1940s andearly 50s wrote, "I never had a teddy. I don't known why. My parents, granmother and uncle had no objection to them. I did have some dolies of a little girl who some times visited in my room when I lived with my uncle. I never took them to bed with me. In contrast my brother loved very much his teddy. He couldn't sleep without him until he was 11 or 12 years old. When I was in Paris my brother and I slept together in the same bed. I was not use to that and it bothered me a bit. So during the night I threw teddy out of our bed. Very quickly after he woke up, he asked about his trddy and began looking for it. His teddy was a brown-colored bear. Several times it had to be repaired. It was dressed in a sort pinafore. He got his last teddy when he was probably about 6 years old. Our parents offered him a new teddy when he was 10 years old, but he didn't want to give up his old teddy. Our sister was very fond of her " baigneur " ( dolly ). She had a large wardeobe of clothes for it. My sister loved very much the real babies.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the: Main teddy bear page]
[Return to the: Main photo prop page]
[Return to the: Main photo guide page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Countries]
[Clothing styles]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glosssaries]
[Satillite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Rompers]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]