of Elephant and Castle, London, SE1.  Ditto Address. Telephone: Reliance 2468. (1929)of 61 High Path, Merton, London, SW19. (1947)

1903 Founded by Henry Samuel Dean and was an off-shoot of the Dean and Son publishing firm that specialised in children’s books.  Originally set up to make rag books, Dean’s soon diversified into rag sheets and soft toys, including teddy bears.

1915 Dean’s first began producing teddy bears.

1922 Listed Exhibitor – British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Dean’s Patent Rag Books; Patent “Tru-to-life” Rag Dolls, Toys and Animals; Window Display and Advertising Novelties; Bonbonnieres; “Swimeesy Buoys”. (Stand No F.34)

1929 Listed Exhibitor – British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Dean’s Patent Rag Books, A1 Dolls, A1 Plush and other Hygienic Soft Toys and Animals, A1 Window Display Figures, Swimeesy Buoys, etc. Specialists in Dolls and Novelties for Advertising Purposes. (Stand No. D.1)

1947 British Industries Fair Advert. Manufacturers of Playthings with a World-wide reputation, invite export enquiries for Beautiful Soft-stuffed hygienic Dolls, Toys, Plush Animals, Teddy Bears, etc. (Toys and Games Section – Olympia, 3rd Floor, Stand No. K.2402)

The company experimented with design and produced two different toys based on real bears, one in the 1950s and the other in the 1970s.

Dean’s has gone through several name changes, from Dean’s Childsplay Toys Ltd, to Dean’s/Gwentoy Group (following its buy-out of Gwentoys in 1972), to The Dean’s Company (1903) Ltd (following a management buy-out).

The company no longer makes its toys in Britain and now concentrates on the collectors’ market.