Teddy’s Adventures in the August 1st Marquis Auction

Reprinted from an Article by Keith Kaonis which first appeared in Antique Doll Collector Magazine

Inspired by the real life heroism of Theodore Roosevelt, the Albert Schoenhut Company issued the set, “Teddy’s Adventures in Africa,” on Christmas Day in 1909. The former president had not yet returned from his well-publicized safari, but Schoenhut was quick to capitalize on this important media event.

It was shortly after William Taft’s election to the presidency (Roosevelt declined to run again) that Teddy, an avid outdoorsman, took his small army of 260 porters, guides, naturalists and taxidermists and set out from Mombasa, in what was then British East Africa, to the Kapiti plains. The trek began on April 21, 1909 and was much heralded in newspapers across the United States. Several toys were made

that capitalized on the famous hunting trip, but none stimulated a child’s imagination and offered possibilities for creative playtime more than the Schoenhut Safari.

On Christmas Day 1909, some very lucky children received a Schoenhut safari, available in four different size sets. The company used some of the animals featured in their enormously successful “Humpty Dumpty Circus” and added several animals seen on the safari – the gazelle, zebra, zebu, giraffe, rhino, hyena and hippo are examples. Artistic license was used as other animals were included that in truth were not seen, such as the gorilla and the deer.

Schoenhut modeled the key members of the safari on actual likenesses. There is Teddy; his son Kermit, the photographer; the hunter and great guide, R. J. Cunninghame; taxidermist, Edmund Heller; doctor, Edgar Mearns; naturalist, J. Loring and adjutant guide Leslie Tarlton. The natives represented in the safari are a representation of the different tribes employed on the caravan including the Masai, the Wakamba and the Swakile. It was felt that using porters from various tribes would lessen the chances of mutiny. Schoenhut’s human safari figures are described as Style I, meaning their heads are a two-part construction (you can actually see a seam joining the front and back of the head). Faces were cast of a plaster type material, affixed to the wood head, and then hand painted. The wooden bodies, arms and legs were turned on a lathe and assembled with elastic. Natives were jointed at the shoulders, hips and neck while the white personnel had additional jointing at the elbows and knees enabling them to be realistically posed.

The animals sold in the safari were all glass-eyed; the painted eye style was not used until 1918. There is one notable exception however and that is the gorilla who was only offered in the painted eye style. Unlike

the other safari animals whose heads were mostly hand carved, the gorilla’s face was cast in plaster. The animals are also jointed, some with ball jointed necks, and they often have leather ears and horns. Because so much of the work was done by hand, collectors search for those nuances in carving and painting that give each piece character.

The personnel are equipped with various accessories, some specially suited for their occupation such as Kermit’s camera and the naturalist’s telescope. When complete, they all wear a cartridge belt and may carry a pistol, rifle and dagger. The Arab Chief and Native Chief were also produced with a cartridge belt and the Arab Chief carries an Arabian-style rifle. The natives carry a spear and one, referred to as the

drummer, has holes drilled into his hand to accommodate drum sticks. He wears a burnoose and a drum around his neck.

The rarest character in the safari and one very seldom seen is the Arab Chief who was offered in the two largest sets. The body construction is the same as the clowns in the Humpty Dumpty Circus, but naturally, his painting is very different and he wears a felt beard, a flowing red robe and burnoose. Another interesting character is the Native Chief, sometimes confused with the circus “Dude”, although when familiar with these toys they are very easy to tell apart. Only two examples of another highranking “Arab” have been seen, which some people call the “Pasha.” He may have been an experimental figure or perhaps a special order. Naturally, rarity, originality, condition and completeness are the key to value. In the last few years, prices for the safari pieces at auctions have escalated dramatically.

After a long hard trek, making camp required tents, straw huts, tables, chairs, bales and boxes for provisions, bowls and jugs for cooking, all items that the Schoenhut Company thoughtfully provided in their sets. Though seemingly inconsequential, original safari props command serious prices.

The larger sets included a beautiful backdrop simulating what was seen along various points of the safari. Mt. Kenia is visible, along with lush vegetation, water and grasslands. Two different scenes were used, one screened on cloth and the other on paper and mounted on card stock. When a few figures, animals and props are placed against the five foot backdrop the result is amazing. One could say the whole is more than the sum of its parts – these individual toys become an exciting safari scene that captivates adults as much as it did children nearly one hundred years ago.

Four different sets were offered: a 17-piece set retailing at $6, a 21-piece set for $9.50, a 25-piece set for $13 and a 53-piece set for $30. (Please note: the accessories were counted as pieces.) The personnel and animals were also sold separately. It is highly unusual to find even a small set intact as over the years they were broken up, but it is highly rewarding, albeit challenging to assemble a full complement of safari figures and props.

The Schoenhut Safari is a great example of creative toy manufacturing at the turn of the 20th century. Steeped in historical fact, today it is considered a treasure of Americana. Offered for only a few short years, its production may have ended as early as 1912.