Delicatessen Bear
(also known as "Aloysius")
"Delicatessen is the most famous bear in the world. Born in 1907, he spent the first 55 years of his life in America, in a a grocery and dry goods store in Saco, Maine. When the proprietor, Miss Euphemia Ladd, retired, she sent her bear to Peter Bull. Shortly afterwards, "Deli" auditioned for the role of Aloysius in Brideshead Revisited, and won the celebrated part "paws down". Within weeks, he became a famous Hollywood star."
Quote above taken from page 4 of the January 1988 "House of Nisbet catalogue
A closer look at the "Aloysius" badge that he wears on his "Daks" scarf
“Delicatessen”, (named for the place Peter found him), was a 1907 American Ideal Bear. The television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel "Brideshead Revisited" starred, (besides Delicatessen as Aloysius), Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews.
5175 - Delicatessen Bear was introduced in 1987, and originally came in a British Airways flight bag. At 25 inches tall, he is a real heavyweight, and on his introduction in 1987, sold for £69.95. We can find no trace of him in catalogues or price lists after 1988
Like his bigger brother, 5176 - Delicatessen Bear was introduced in 1987, and also came in a British Airways flight bag. At 15 inches tall, he is a substantial bear, and on his introduction in 1987, sold for £39.95. We can find no trace of him in catalogues or price lists after 1989, when he sold for £34.95
5175 & 5176 - Delicatessen Replica Bears - Image taken from Page 4 of the January 1988 House of Nisbet catalogue
5177 - Delicatessen in Hollywood - Image taken from Page 4 of the January 1988 House of Nisbet catalogue
5177 Delicatessen in Hollywood was introduced in 1988. Priced at £29.99 on his introduction, the next year, he was priced at £34.95. He does not appear in any price lists or catalogues after 1989, and we must assume that production ceased at that time.
News
21st September 2023
Important Announcement
My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021, after 8 weeks in hospital. I was by her side, when she slipped away from me peacefully, with no pain or suffering.
Chris had been struggling with a slow decline in health, associated with a progressive, untreatable, and ultimately terminal lung disease, and finally succumbed to her old adversary, Pneumonia.
We had been friends for 55 years, together as a couple for 50 years, and married just a month short of 48 years, when she died.
This website was Chris's idea, and I did all the technical stuff, to make it work. After news of Chris's passing reached her close friends in the doll collecting world, I was deeply touched and gratified to hear their tributes to my dear wife, and I must thank them all for their kindness and support. Ultimately, it was her doll friends that gave me the courage to continue with the website.
In the months before her eventual hospitalisation, Chris had outlined a number of additions and changes she wanted to make to the website, and it is my intention to honour those wishes, and to implement the changes we had considered, over the coming weeks and months.
I must apologise to all those who have written to us via the website, only to have your emails go unanswered. Unfortunately, the email system had been hacked aroung the time Chris was going into hospital, and many emails must have been lost, as a result.
As you might imagine, I felt completely broken by Chris's loss, and it is only now, almost 22 months after her passing, that I have felt strong enough to even look at the website again.
My aim is to continue with the website, and to implement Chris's aims for her many new ideas as soon as I can. In the meantime, I have hopefully got the email system sorted out, and I will attempt to answer any enquiries as soon as I can, and to send replies with the same high degree of accuracy that a reply from Chris would have had.
From now on, I will be flying solo, whilst my co-pilot and guide will be soaring much higher, (though she is always in my heart, and in my thoughts).
My thanks to all our website visitors for your continued support
Dave (also known as Arthur), and Chris, (my lost love, Guinevere)
Christine Poulten
25th December 1949 - 8th December 2021
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