Last chance to see this weekend!
Closes on Sunday 25th January 2015
Famed for his duffel coat, his politeness and, of course, his love of marmalade sandwiches, Paddington Bear is a much-loved icon of children’s literature. To coincide with premiere of the new Paddington movie, the Museum of London has put on this charming exhibition focussing on one of London’s favourite immigrants.
Paddington plush bears from around the world.
L-R: Germany; UK; USA; Japan
© Museum of London
Paddington’s long journey from Darkest Peru, via Paddington Station, to his new home with the Brown family at 32 Windsor Gardens is charted in this exhibition from the pages of the original stories to the small screen and now to the big screen.
The genesis of Paddington Bear can be traced back to Christmas 1956 when Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond, bought his wife a small stuffed bear from Selfridges, naming him after their local railway station. Amongst the highlights of this exhibition are a signed first edition copy of the very first story A Bear Called Paddington from 1958 that belongs to the author’s daughter Karen Jankel, the original typewriter that Michael Bond wrote the stories on and the 2D cutouts and the Paddington puppet from the 1970s TV animations.
The museum also has its own life-size Paddington statue as a part of the Paddington Trail that sees 50 of these statues popping up across the capital. The Museum of London’s Paddington has been designed by actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Alongside the exhibition there is a family activity space where children and parents can play together and follow Paddington on his adventures.
FREE entry
Museum of London
London Wall
London EC2
The London Art File 