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"Hello, my name is Adrián and I am from Chile.
I am writing to inquire about an antique object that appears to be made by Steiff. It is a doll stuffed with straw, covered with cloth on a quadricycle, apparently it had a mechanism that when walking made the doll move. His eyes are made of glass, his body is complete but unfortunately the moths have damaged the coating.... Under the jacket it presents a purple felt. It has wooden wheels and the caddy is made of metal wire. It measures 9 inches tall. In advance I appreciate your help!"
This purple-clad Steiff doll reigns supreme! This guy is Steiff's "Record August." The doll is made from felt and jointed. When he left the factory in Giengen more than a century ago, we was wearing a purple shirt, a matching purple brimmed cap, white trousers, a black belt, black socks, and brown shoes. You can see elements of this outfit on him today. These details were key in helping to identify him. August has traces of Steiff's first quarter of the 20th century doll facial construction, including a center seam, brown and black glass pupil eyes, a dimensional nose, and facial painting. His ride is Steiff's traditional "record" style vehicle. With this design, a jointed rider is sitting on the seat of a simple cart made from a metal chassis and four wooden wheels. The cart has a handlebar, and the rider appears to pump it back and forth as he is pulled along. Record August was produced in 20 cm from 1916-1929. A picture of him "as new" is here on the left; it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.
So what is the story behind this wonderful find? According to Adrián:
"The truth is that my late boss was dedicated to antiques, his name was Heriberto Gudenschwager Klaassen. I continued working in his store after he passed away. I found some boxes in the shop, they were stored away for many years, and they contained several old toys on wheels - including the little boy on his quadricycle. A prewar mohair Steiff duck on wheels was also part of this collection. These toys were found in a box in the attic of an old house. My boss bought them from a grandson of the original owner. It was only this year that they were rediscovered in the shop."
In a roundabout way, Record August is part of Steiff's legacy "record" production. The first record item was "Record Peter" - a chimp on wheels - who came on the scene in 1912 and was an immediate success. The 1912 catalog described him as: “Record Peter, in silky brown mohair plush, seated on a self-drive chassis with sturdy wooden wheels and automatic sound box. Virtually unbreakable mechanism. Simply has to be pulled along by attached cord.” A Record Teddy debuted in 1913, and by 1916, a series of record dolls topped Steiff's novelty production. These included a Record Puck gnome, Shockheaded Peter, Max, Moritz, Radler (a boy in a red felt suit) and this Record August. Over time, popular characters like Mickey Mouse, Petsy the baby bear, and Felix the Cat were also produced as record-style novelties. The record rabbit, pictured here on the left, was featured in Steiff's catalog from 1926 through 1943. Postwar, record style rabbits and chimps appeared in the line through 1964 and 1970, respectively.
Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Record August has been a joy ride for you!
So what is the story behind this wonderful find? According to Adrián:
"The truth is that my late boss was dedicated to antiques, his name was Heriberto Gudenschwager Klaassen. I continued working in his store after he passed away. I found some boxes in the shop, they were stored away for many years, and they contained several old toys on wheels - including the little boy on his quadricycle. A prewar mohair Steiff duck on wheels was also part of this collection. These toys were found in a box in the attic of an old house. My boss bought them from a grandson of the original owner. It was only this year that they were rediscovered in the shop."
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