Diane shares,
What we have here is Steiff's super cute, and super rare, Radler doll on wooden wheels. The doll itself is 20 cm tall, fully jointed, and made entirely from felt. He wears a red felt suit that is integral to his body. His jacket is detailed with cuffs and a collar, as well as buttons. His shoes are black, and his matching red felt hat fits nicely on his head. His boyish face comes to life with a prominent center seam, glass eyes, a dimensional mouth and nose highlighted with hand painting, rosy cheeks, and pert ears. His hair is painted. He sits upon a metal carriage which glides along on four naturally colored wooden wheels. When the cart is pulled along, it appears as if the doll is shuffling back and forth in tandem with the movement of his vehicle. This particular doll design is named "Radler" and he was produced in this size only from 1916-1929.
Radler (the doll!) is part of Steiff's beloved and traditional "record" production. "Record" refers to a jointed item riding a four wheeled cart with a handle. The first record item was "Record Peter" - a chimp on wheels - who came on the scene in 1912. He was an immediate best seller then, and remains a collector's favorite today. A Record Teddy debuted in 1913 and a Record Rabbit appeared in the catalog starting in 1926. In terms of dolls, in 1916 a series of record dolls topped Steiff's novelty production. These included a Record Puck gnome, Shockheaded Peter, Max, Moritz, a Record August (a boy in a purple felt suit) and this Radler. Over time, popular characters like Mickey Mouse, Petsy the baby bear, and Felix the Cat were also produced as record-style novelties. Postwar, record style rabbits and chimps appeared in the line through 1964 and 1970, respectively. You can see a photo of Radler as he would have appeared leaving the factory brand new a century ago - this image is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.
"I have never been able to locate a Steiff like my Grandmothers. It is a postman on an Irish Mail or pull cart. He is 8 inches tall when he is in the forward position. The button is in the ear. It is difficult to see the button in the photo. He was purchased in the 1930s. I have seen a few animals on pull carts but never a doll. Thank you in advance for any information you could provide."
It's interesting to note that "Radler" is the German word for cyclist. The word is also a name for a distinctly German adult beverage. A "radler" is a mixture of beer and citrus flavored soda. It is fitting to see how a radler might enjoy a cold, frosty radler after a long bicycle ride! For a detailed history of radler the beverage, please click here!
Steiffgal hopes this discussion of Diane's radler has been a refreshing pause in your day.
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