*Please note- This site search does not include the Vic. & Tas. BMD's, Lots o' Links & Worth a Look Books
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MARGARETE STEIFF
STUFFED TOYS
1847-1909
Appolonia Margarete Steiff (known as Gretel), was born in Giengen 24th July 1847, to parents- Friedrich Steiff & Maria Margarete Hähnle & was the third of four children. Her father was a master builder in Giengen which is situated between Ulm & Heidenheim on the eastern side of the Swabian Alps in Germany.
Known as Margarete throughout her life, she was a lively child until at 18 months, she became ill with polio & would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life with her mother having to care for her. During the 1800's, being in a wheelchair would mean that the afflicted person could only look forward to a grim future, as it was thought that she/he would never be able to take on the role of housewife, mother, or wage earner.
Margarete did't let this bother her & had a positive & cheerful nature which made her very popular. She wanted to be involved in childhood games, mostly outdoors regardless of the weather. Margarete attended
school & a woman who lived nearby carried her up the steps. She enjoyed school very much and proved to be above-average. She loved playing with other children whenever possible & was a creative inventor of new games. She had new ideas which made it possible for herself to take part, displaying one of her natural gifts. She had a unique way of telling people what had to be done, so that they wanted to do it.
Margarete looked after young children while their mothers worked, which she enjoyed immensely & noted the following in her diary- "It was also an important duty for me as I did not have to crochet at the same time, because I was usually required to do such & such amount." This gives the impression that Margarete wasn't spoiled.
Following an unsuccessful leg operation, Margarete went to a health resort in Wildbad. She enjoyed that tremendously & matured in mind & soul during her stay, but physically didn't improve. She travelled
between Ludwigsburg & Wildbad many times, finally returning to Giengen in the November of 1856. After catching up on her school work due to her absence, she also wanted to attend a sewing school. Her father initially objected to prevent her from being disappointed if she was unsuccessful, but she asserted herself & proved her parents wrong. Sometimes taking more time to do the work & frequently asking for help, she became a perfect seamstress in a few short years.
Margarete was always trying to overcome her limitations. She learned to play the zither & eventually playing so well that she was able to teach others, also spending time staying with other families while
sewing dowry articles, of whom Appolonia Hähnle her Aunt was the first. She later worked for clergyman Gross. At 17, she realized that she was never going to be healed came to terms with it. Margarete's father, modified his house in 1874, converting a study on the 1st floor into a dressmaker's workshop. Together with her sisters, she began to sew at home. The workshop became well known & the girls were the first in Giengen to buy their own sewing machine. Unable to turn the wheel with her right hand, the machine was turned around for Margarete, using her left hand to drive & the right to guide the fabric.
The demand grew for dresses, though Margarete preferred sewing children's clothes. After her sisters both married in the early 1870's, she travelled & continued to work in her parents' house, until Adolf Glatz, a felt manufacturer who married into the family, inspiried her to set up a felt business. Glatz helped financially for several years & she made Felt coats for children & ladies petticoats. As the sales figures increased, the workshop turned into a little factory. There was no feeling of boss & employee, as Margarete was interested all of her seamstresses .
Margarete's brother, Fritz had six sons, with whom she shared very close relationships, they often visited her in the factory. In 1880, she saw the model of a felt elephant in a magazine & made 8 of these for Christmas presents. The children loved them & soon after Christmas, others wanted them, so from then on, elephants were kept in stock as well as dresses. Soft toys were new at that time, so Margarete & her staff sold the
elephants at markets with great success, later creating kittens, dogs & pink pigs. The workshop became a factory for felt articles and toys. Fritz continued to inspire his sister & arranged for her articles to be put on exhibition as export samples in Stuttgart in 1883, increasing each year in sales & expansion of the collection.
Fritz took over his father's firm in 1888 & as a well-respected man in Giengen, it wasn't long before he persuaded Margarete to move her business there too. He built a house with business premises in the
Mühlstrasse, completely to suit Margarete's requirements. Felt toys were sold in the corner shop on the ground floor with its two display windows. The firm continued to grow during the years that followed.
The first illustrated catalogue was printed in 1892. In 1894 she was invited to St. Gallen by a major toy dealer, then orders started coming from Berlin, Rothenburg & abroad. Five of Fritz's sons joined the company, each with their own skill of designer, engineer & management etc.. The soft toys were launched in Europe, then America. Following the death of Fritz (1900), Margarete drew strength for her work from
close family & her nephews. Richard in particular, was very involved in expanding the product range. In 1902, Richard developed a new type of soft toy, with jointed arms & legs, fur made of mohair plush &
glass eyes, which Margarete thought were rather ungainly, but was persuaded. Without success initially, the toys were being packed away at the end of the Leipzig trade fair when an American bought all 3,000 of them at the very last minute.
Bear PB became a smash hit at the World Exhibition in St. Louis. 12,000 bears were sold and Margarete & Richard each received a gold medal at the Trade Exhibition, the highest prize that could be awarded to a company. The production increased to 1.7 million between 1903 & 1907. There were 400 people working on the premises & another 1,800 women were employed as home workers. This jointed bear later got it's name "Teddy bear" (since 1906) from President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.
The American economy came under pressure in 1908, with serious consequences for the company: orders were cancelled, Margarete was growing noticeably weary and could often be seen sitting at her window,
watching the comings and goings in the company from there. She seemed to know that her life was coming to an end.
Margarete Steiff was just 61 years old when she died on 9th April 1909. What had originally seemed to be a hopeless life became a shining example of what can be achieved with courage, strength & willpower. Her family, staff & people of Giengen found it difficult to deal with her death.
Reference
http://www.steiffnews.com/margarete_steiff_biography.htm
Known as Margarete throughout her life, she was a lively child until at 18 months, she became ill with polio & would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life with her mother having to care for her. During the 1800's, being in a wheelchair would mean that the afflicted person could only look forward to a grim future, as it was thought that she/he would never be able to take on the role of housewife, mother, or wage earner.
Margarete did't let this bother her & had a positive & cheerful nature which made her very popular. She wanted to be involved in childhood games, mostly outdoors regardless of the weather. Margarete attended
school & a woman who lived nearby carried her up the steps. She enjoyed school very much and proved to be above-average. She loved playing with other children whenever possible & was a creative inventor of new games. She had new ideas which made it possible for herself to take part, displaying one of her natural gifts. She had a unique way of telling people what had to be done, so that they wanted to do it.
Margarete looked after young children while their mothers worked, which she enjoyed immensely & noted the following in her diary- "It was also an important duty for me as I did not have to crochet at the same time, because I was usually required to do such & such amount." This gives the impression that Margarete wasn't spoiled.
Following an unsuccessful leg operation, Margarete went to a health resort in Wildbad. She enjoyed that tremendously & matured in mind & soul during her stay, but physically didn't improve. She travelled
between Ludwigsburg & Wildbad many times, finally returning to Giengen in the November of 1856. After catching up on her school work due to her absence, she also wanted to attend a sewing school. Her father initially objected to prevent her from being disappointed if she was unsuccessful, but she asserted herself & proved her parents wrong. Sometimes taking more time to do the work & frequently asking for help, she became a perfect seamstress in a few short years.
Margarete was always trying to overcome her limitations. She learned to play the zither & eventually playing so well that she was able to teach others, also spending time staying with other families while
sewing dowry articles, of whom Appolonia Hähnle her Aunt was the first. She later worked for clergyman Gross. At 17, she realized that she was never going to be healed came to terms with it. Margarete's father, modified his house in 1874, converting a study on the 1st floor into a dressmaker's workshop. Together with her sisters, she began to sew at home. The workshop became well known & the girls were the first in Giengen to buy their own sewing machine. Unable to turn the wheel with her right hand, the machine was turned around for Margarete, using her left hand to drive & the right to guide the fabric.
The demand grew for dresses, though Margarete preferred sewing children's clothes. After her sisters both married in the early 1870's, she travelled & continued to work in her parents' house, until Adolf Glatz, a felt manufacturer who married into the family, inspiried her to set up a felt business. Glatz helped financially for several years & she made Felt coats for children & ladies petticoats. As the sales figures increased, the workshop turned into a little factory. There was no feeling of boss & employee, as Margarete was interested all of her seamstresses .
Margarete's brother, Fritz had six sons, with whom she shared very close relationships, they often visited her in the factory. In 1880, she saw the model of a felt elephant in a magazine & made 8 of these for Christmas presents. The children loved them & soon after Christmas, others wanted them, so from then on, elephants were kept in stock as well as dresses. Soft toys were new at that time, so Margarete & her staff sold the
elephants at markets with great success, later creating kittens, dogs & pink pigs. The workshop became a factory for felt articles and toys. Fritz continued to inspire his sister & arranged for her articles to be put on exhibition as export samples in Stuttgart in 1883, increasing each year in sales & expansion of the collection.
Fritz took over his father's firm in 1888 & as a well-respected man in Giengen, it wasn't long before he persuaded Margarete to move her business there too. He built a house with business premises in the
Mühlstrasse, completely to suit Margarete's requirements. Felt toys were sold in the corner shop on the ground floor with its two display windows. The firm continued to grow during the years that followed.
The first illustrated catalogue was printed in 1892. In 1894 she was invited to St. Gallen by a major toy dealer, then orders started coming from Berlin, Rothenburg & abroad. Five of Fritz's sons joined the company, each with their own skill of designer, engineer & management etc.. The soft toys were launched in Europe, then America. Following the death of Fritz (1900), Margarete drew strength for her work from
close family & her nephews. Richard in particular, was very involved in expanding the product range. In 1902, Richard developed a new type of soft toy, with jointed arms & legs, fur made of mohair plush &
glass eyes, which Margarete thought were rather ungainly, but was persuaded. Without success initially, the toys were being packed away at the end of the Leipzig trade fair when an American bought all 3,000 of them at the very last minute.
Bear PB became a smash hit at the World Exhibition in St. Louis. 12,000 bears were sold and Margarete & Richard each received a gold medal at the Trade Exhibition, the highest prize that could be awarded to a company. The production increased to 1.7 million between 1903 & 1907. There were 400 people working on the premises & another 1,800 women were employed as home workers. This jointed bear later got it's name "Teddy bear" (since 1906) from President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.
The American economy came under pressure in 1908, with serious consequences for the company: orders were cancelled, Margarete was growing noticeably weary and could often be seen sitting at her window,
watching the comings and goings in the company from there. She seemed to know that her life was coming to an end.
Margarete Steiff was just 61 years old when she died on 9th April 1909. What had originally seemed to be a hopeless life became a shining example of what can be achieved with courage, strength & willpower. Her family, staff & people of Giengen found it difficult to deal with her death.
Reference
http://www.steiffnews.com/margarete_steiff_biography.htm
1. Germany
2. The Business
3. Teddy Roosevelt
4. Steiff Toys
5. Margaret's Hobbies
6. Felt
7. Toymakers
8. Wheelchairs
9. Polio
2. The Business
3. Teddy Roosevelt
4. Steiff Toys
5. Margaret's Hobbies
6. Felt
7. Toymakers
8. Wheelchairs
9. Polio
Germany
Wildbad, Germany
Ludwigsburg to Wildbad is approximately 64 kms .http://famousgermancastles.com/ The Wildbad area has been a health resort village since the 15th century,the word 'Bad' means 'Spa'. So many have come here to soak in the hot springs. In the 19th century the large pink Palace Thermal was built there. http://www.mygermancity.com/bad-wildbad Palace Thermal
Ludwigsburg Palace
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Leipzig Trade Fair
From the Middle Ages onward, Leipzig’s Messe (trade fair) had functioned as a European trading center, and merchants from as far as North & South America began attending it in the early 1800's. http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub Leipzig was the birthplace of composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) & composer, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) & writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) lived there for a time.
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German Naming Pattern
Margarete Steiff was born Appolonia Margarete Steiff 1847 in Germany. Her parents were- Friedrich Steiff
& Maria Margarete Hähnle, then Margarete was the third of four children. Later it mentions her Aunt- Appolonia Hähnle, who has the same first name.
If they followed the naming pattern we could then conclude (always exceptions) that Margarete (Appolonia) was the third girl, named after her mother's maternal grandmother & the Aunt Appolonia was the first girl, named after her grandmother, who was the same Appolonia that Margarete was named after.
Margarete Steiff was born Appolonia Margarete Steiff 1847 in Germany. Her parents were- Friedrich Steiff
& Maria Margarete Hähnle, then Margarete was the third of four children. Later it mentions her Aunt- Appolonia Hähnle, who has the same first name.
If they followed the naming pattern we could then conclude (always exceptions) that Margarete (Appolonia) was the third girl, named after her mother's maternal grandmother & the Aunt Appolonia was the first girl, named after her grandmother, who was the same Appolonia that Margarete was named after.
This Is what Shirley Hornbeck's site on Rootsweb Says-
"The custom of Germans was to give, at baptism, two names. The first was a spiritual or a saint's name in honor of a favorite saint. In my own German family, I see Johann Adam, Johann George, Johann Jacob Hetzel and some favorite female names were Anna Barbara and Anna Margaret Hetzel, all within the same family! The second or middle name was the name the person was known by within the family". The suffix "in" or "en", added to the end of a name, such as Anna Maria Hetzelin denoted female, often an unmarried female. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hornbeck/naming.htm I tested this out and guess what? there was a Saint Apollonia who died in 249AD |
Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius.
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Nineteenth Century Naming Pattern
First daughter: Maternal grandmother.
Second daughter: Paternal grandmother.
Third daughter: Mother or mother's maternal grandmother (the child's great grandmother).
Fourth daughter: Mother's oldest sister or father's paternal grandmother.
Fifth daughter: Father's eldest sister or mother's paternal grandmother.
Sixth daughter: Mother's 2nd oldest sister or father's paternal grandmother.
Most nineteenth century families, not only in Germany, but England, Scotland etc., as well, went with the naming pattern above.
The same with Boys, only on reverse side of the family-
First son: Paternal grandmother.
Second son: Maternal grandmother.
Third son: Father or father's paternal grandfather (the child's great grandfather).
Fourth son: Father's oldest brother or Mother's paternal grandfather.
Fifth son: Mother's eldest brother or father's maternal grandfather.
Sixth son: Father's 2nd oldest brother or father's maternal grandfather.
First daughter: Maternal grandmother.
Second daughter: Paternal grandmother.
Third daughter: Mother or mother's maternal grandmother (the child's great grandmother).
Fourth daughter: Mother's oldest sister or father's paternal grandmother.
Fifth daughter: Father's eldest sister or mother's paternal grandmother.
Sixth daughter: Mother's 2nd oldest sister or father's paternal grandmother.
Most nineteenth century families, not only in Germany, but England, Scotland etc., as well, went with the naming pattern above.
The same with Boys, only on reverse side of the family-
First son: Paternal grandmother.
Second son: Maternal grandmother.
Third son: Father or father's paternal grandfather (the child's great grandfather).
Fourth son: Father's oldest brother or Mother's paternal grandfather.
Fifth son: Mother's eldest brother or father's maternal grandfather.
Sixth son: Father's 2nd oldest brother or father's maternal grandfather.
From the same Site-
With people being what they are, there were all sorts of variations, some covered by rules and some by family decision. It was customary to name the next daughter/son born within a second marriage for the deceased husband/wife. If a father died before his child was born, the child was often named for him. If a mother died in childbirth, that child, if a girl, was usually named for the mother. Another child was commonly named for a child who had died within the family.
With people being what they are, there were all sorts of variations, some covered by rules and some by family decision. It was customary to name the next daughter/son born within a second marriage for the deceased husband/wife. If a father died before his child was born, the child was often named for him. If a mother died in childbirth, that child, if a girl, was usually named for the mother. Another child was commonly named for a child who had died within the family.
The Business
The factory building built in 1903 had a ramp for easy access in a wheelchair
Commemorative plaque for Margarete Steiff in
front of the company's factory gate. Her motto was always
"The best is just good enough for our children" Margagrete Steiff as a young woman
Franz Steiff (another nephew of Margarete) came up with the idea of riveting a button to one ear of each animal. The "Button in Ear" was born - the trademark of a real Steiff animal, even still today.
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Steiff advertising on the balcony of the central trade fair palace in Leipzig.
Throughout company history, the “Button in Ear” has changed many times, but it always remained,
their trademark |
Steiff Bear Button id
1904-1905 Silver tone, elephant motif
1904-1905 Silver tone, blank 1908-1927 Nickel and iron, the word “Steiff” 1925-1935 Iron and nickel plate, the word “Steiff” 1933-1943 Brass, the word “Steiff” 1948-1950 Blue-grey metal, the word “Steiff” 1948-1950 Nickel, blank 1950-1952 Silver tone, the word “Steiff” 1952-1953 Nickel, the word “Steiff” in script 1960-1972 Nickel, the word “Steiff” in script 1969-1977 Nickel, incised “Steiff” in script 1977-1982 Brass, embossed “Steiff” in script 1982-1999 Brass, “Steiff” in script 2000-Present Brass or gold plated, “Steiff in script 2004 – Present Stainless steel, initials “MS” with Margarete Steiff signature |
6mm
6mm 4mm 8mm 6mm 7mm 5mm 6mm 5mm 5mm 8mm 8mm 8mm 9mm 8mm |
Identifying the era of a Steiff bear
http://blog.steiffusa.com/steiff-button-in-ear-a-guide-to-the-famous-trademark/
http://blog.steiffusa.com/steiff-button-in-ear-a-guide-to-the-famous-trademark/
Teddy Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT
The Teddy Bear owes its name to the 26th U.S. President
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.
While on a hunting trip in Mississippi, after the President failed to make a kill, his hosts tied a bear cub to a tree and presented it to him to shoot. The President refused to shoot such an easy target. He was quoted as saying, “Spare the Bear.”
http://thecavenderdiary.com/tag/margarete-steiff/
The Teddy Bear owes its name to the 26th U.S. President
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.
While on a hunting trip in Mississippi, after the President failed to make a kill, his hosts tied a bear cub to a tree and presented it to him to shoot. The President refused to shoot such an easy target. He was quoted as saying, “Spare the Bear.”
http://thecavenderdiary.com/tag/margarete-steiff/
“Spare the Bear.”
was immortalised in a Washington Post cartoon in 1902.
Companies immediately began to make stuffed bears to commemorate the act, but it was the Steiff bears
that were the most popular.
was immortalised in a Washington Post cartoon in 1902.
Companies immediately began to make stuffed bears to commemorate the act, but it was the Steiff bears
that were the most popular.
Around the same time, the Steiff company in Germany
produced the P.B. Bear.
produced the P.B. Bear.
Bear "PB", 1904
Today, Steiff animals are still made almost entirely by hand. http://www.steiffusa. com/teddy-bears/ |
The Roosevelt Bears: Their Travels and Adventures was the first of a series of books created between 1905 and 1908 by Seymour Eaton.
Early teddy bears were made to look like real bears, with extended snouts & beady eyes.
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Nth American educator Seymour Eaton wrote the children's book series 'The Roosevelt Bears', while composer John Walter Bratton wrote an instrumental 'The Teddy Bears' Picnic', in 1907, a characteristic two-step, which later had words written to it by lyricist Jimmy Kennedy in 1932.
Henry Hall's Orchestra - The Teddy Bear's Picnic (1932)
2:54 |
The Market Went Wild!
U.S. Antique Bears Price Guide
http://www.antiquesnavigator.com/price-guide/Ant |
Steiff Toys
Margarete Steiff's animals were stuffed with sheep's wool, replaced by wood shavings in the 1890s. The filling material was "light, soft and pure" (no sawdust, animal hair or cork waste).
Margarete's Elephant Pin Cushions
Her Little Reindeer
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Stuffed Elephant Skittles
THE STEIFF MUSEUM
Many children may fantasize of being surrounded by life-size plush animals and teddy bears. The dream becomes reality at the Steiff Museum, located in Giengen an der Brenz, home to the world-famous plush toy company and its trademarked “button in ear ... http://www.stuttgartcitizen.com/lifestyle/a-plush-exp STEIFF'S 1898 CATALOGUE
http://www.spielzeug-welten-museum-basel.ch/en/ |
Margaret's Hobbies
Margarete Steiff's Zither A Zither is a musical instrument consisting of a flat wooden sound-box with numerous strings stretched across it, placed horizontally and played with the fingers and a plectrum (pick). It is used especially in central European folk music. |
EDELWEISS by Sebastian on his Zither
2:59 Victorian Crochet
The History of Victorian Crochet http://www.victoriancrochet.com/history.tpl Pattern: Irish Jabot http://www.victoriancrochet.com/freepat terns/ Crocheting pattern books 1700-1910 http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/ |
Felt
Apart from Margaret Steiff's stuffed toys, felt has been used for producing headwear for many centuries and is perhaps the oldest textile material (Hat Makers). Archaeological evidence shows that from very early on, people had discovered the tendency for fibres to mat together when warm and damp, many years before they learnt how to spin and weave yarn.
http://www.torbandreiner.com/felt-history
Toymakers
Until the mid-1800's, most children's toys were homemade, often whittled from a chunk of wood on a winter's night. Later, toymakers in Germany & North America began to create a variety of toys, such as rocking horses, porcelain dolls etc.
Historical Toy Making in Nuremberg http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/ germany/historical-toymaking-in-nuremberg/ List of 108 Vintage Toy Makers & Manufacturers http://www.retrowaste.com/list-of-vintage-toy-makers/ The Strong - National Museum of play http://www.museumofplay.org/collections/toy-doll-game Toys in rich homes- Victorian Britain http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/toys_and_games/ American Doll, Toy Makers, A-C 1796+ http://www.dollreference.com/american_antique_doll_makers_marks1.html |
The German & American Toy Industries
& child labour "By the early 1800's the mountainous region of Southern Germany known as the Erzgebirge had become a major center for the making of toys...." "Family members would act as a team with everyone, right on down to the youngest children working all day, and often into the night. http://fairetymetoys.com/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Chil TOYS- MOVIE CLIPS
Spielzeug Welten Museum- Movie clips Go to website to view http://www.spielzeug-welten-museum-basel.ch/en/ Museum of Childhood- London
https://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/learning/visiting-with-under-5s/ TOMMY AS TOYMAKER
The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural and Mining Advocate Thursday 1 November 1917 |
The Brothers (Gebruder) Bing were one of the most prominent toy makers in Germany. Founded in Nurnberg by the brothers Ignaz & Adolf Bing in 1863, they started out making kitchen utensils, progressing to toys in the late 1800's. Production
grew to the point where, in 1905, Bing boasted the largest toy factory in the world. Their model steam engine line was one of the most diverse. Bing also made tinplate litho toys, model railroad equipment, including some live steam locomotives. http://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/info/Category Antique-tintoys
http://www.antique-tintoys.com/index.html TOYMAKERS in 1881 Census:
Residents of Birmingham Union Workhouse http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Birmingham/Birming The Life of Toy Makers http://fairetymetoys.com/pmwiki.php?n=Main Occupations associated
with Toy Making Toy Filer Toy Forger Gilt Toy Maker Toy Polisher Toy Grinder Toy Finisher Steel Toy Maker GlassToy Maker MODERN MIRACLE * A must read!
The Mercury Hobart, Tas. Monday 25 July 1938 TOOWONG'S ROCKING HORSE KING
Sunday Mail (Brisbane) Qld. Sunday 24 November 1929 Read More............
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/ 97656997?s Meet the man bringing 20,000 toys back to life on YouTube - BBC Trending
3:52 |
Wheelchairs
WHEELCHAIR TIMELINE
http://timerime.com/en/event/84196/Seventeenth+Century |
The first known dedicated wheelchair (invented in 1595 and called an invalids chair) was made for Phillip II of Spain by an unknown inventor. http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinvent |
THE WHEELS OF LIFE
Polio
The iron lung pulled back thousands of polio victims from the brink of death.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/centennial-infectious-diseases-pandemics/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/centennial-infectious-diseases-pandemics/
In the first half of the 20th century, medicine was virtually helpless in treating polio’s complications, including the tortured suffocation that followed paralysis of the chest muscles. But in the fall of 1928, the clinical picture brightened somewhat, when a Harvard senior with polio entered Boston’s Brigham Hospital. In his room sat a giant tin box with a hole at one end and a motor at the other. Its inventor was Philip Drinker, a quiet, modest engineer and professor of industrial hygiene at HSPH. Drinker’s contraption aided the young man’s respiration by increasing and decreasing the pressure inside its sealed compartment (the first polio victim to use the respirator, an 8-year-old girl, was revived but soon succumbed).
Officially called the Drinker Respirator, it came to be known by a more descriptive name: the iron lung
Philip A. Drinker, PhD
Born: December 12, 1894 Died: October 19, 1972 Inventor of the 'Iron Lung', originally known as the 'Drinker Respirator' Born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, Drinker attended Princeton University, and then obtained a degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the home of his childhood. After service in the army and two years in industry, he joined Harvard Medical School's newly developing program, in industrial health. http://www.polioplace.org/people/philip-drinker-phd |
First records of its use surfaced in newspaper articles during the poliomyelitis epidemic of the 1920s, when reference was made to a rigid case fitted over the patient's body, used for administering prolonged artificial respiration by means of a mechanical pump. Yet already in 1670 John Mayow had advanced the concept that negative pressure draws air into the chest, and subsequently John Dalziel, a Scottish physician, described a negative pressure device which augmented respiration in his paper ‘On sleep, and an Apparatus for Promoting Artificial Respiration’.
A Sign posted on a tree during the 1916 New York City Polio epidemic
Leg irons on a child with polio
"Red Nichols & his Five Pennies"
7:02 A clip of the real Red Nichols, whose band was called 'The Five Pennies', with a Dixieland rendition of American Patrol. ca. 1945 "American Patrol" is a popular march written by Frank White (F.W.) Meacham in 1885. |
POLIO TIMELINE
http://amhistory.si.edu/polio/timeline/ Polio Virus and Its Odd History http://hubpages.com/hub/Polio-Virus- and-Its-Odd TREATMENT OF POLIO http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/ A History – from then to now http://www.rah.sa.gov.au/hampstead/downloads/HR My Aunt, who had polio as a child in Scotland, told of how both of her legs were plastered all the way up. The nurses would take her and the other children out for some sunshine and lay them on the grass. My Aunt remembered how the ants used to crawl inside the plaster & it would itch like crazy! Anyway, after all of that, she lived until she was 101 years old.
The Five Pennies (Trailer) 1959 1:01
Starring Danny Kaye The True Story of Jazz Trumpet player, composer & band leader Red Nichols, whose little daughter contracted polio. Danny Kaye & Louie Armstrong - When the Saints , (scene from 'The Five Pennies') 3:16
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A Century-Old Prosthesis So Advanced Even an Expert Thought It Was Fake
http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/a-century-old-prosthesis-so-advanced-even-an-expert-tho-1520134020
http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/a-century-old-prosthesis-so-advanced-even-an-expert-tho-1520134020