Item HT 57590 Bear - Mitchell Tyrie, Jonathan Ward, Duchess of Double Bay, 1994

Summary

This bear was made by Melbourne company Mitchell Tyrie and dressed Australian couturier Jonathan Ward, depicting a character called the Duchess of Double Bay. Her grown was constructed from black velvet and gold lame, with a plunging neckline and boned corset. Her faux diamond and amethyst jewellery suite was made by jeweller Adrian Lewis. Comes with original Christies card auction tag.

It was auctioned off by Christies in Melbourne in October 1994 to raise funds for the Victorian Aids Council.The auction included bears dressed by designers and artists around Australian and internationally too. It was one of four purchased by the donor.

Mitchell Tyrie was established by former children's librarian Pol McCann in the early 1990s, fashioning the company of famed German manufacturer Steiff. Selling handmade collectible bears, he began by making 200 in 1991, and they were so popular that his output had grown to 1200 by 1995.

Significance

This bear is a representative snapshot of the kinds of high profile fundraising events that were held to raise money for relevant organisations during the Aids crisis of the 1980's and 90's.

As the disease affected many people in the creative industries, their colleagues and friends frequently banded together to produce numerous charity performances and concerts, along with auctions and sales of art, design and other pieces of creative practice, such as these bears.

Designed and decorated by industry professionals, they used the finest fabrics and materials and were finished to the highest standard. Produced by Australian fashion designer Jonathan Ward, Australian costume designer Darryl Myott and the costume department of the San Francisco Opera, a organisation and a city who knew only too well the devastation caused by the disease.

Mitchell Tyrie was a Melbourne high-end bear maker, who decided to organise an auction of dressed and decorated bears after losing a number of friends to the disease. He made dozens of mohair bears, which usually sold for $250, and arranged to have them sent to fashion and costume designers, artists and other designers in Australia and around the world. He soon had almost 100 artist bears assemble for an auction held by Christies in Sydney in 1993, which raised ten of thousands of dollars for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. So successful was the sale, that two more equally successful auctions were held the following two year, which broadened its reach to include both the Victorian and NSW Aids Councils.