Good Question: Dancing Bear Artwork?

This question was too bizarre not to post: For some reason the holidays have me thinking about dancing bears. I know, they might be in the same category as dogs playing poker, but they make me smile anyways. Can anyone tell me some good sources for prints of dancing bears of the vintage-y sort? The only one I have managed to find is this one, by William Holbrook Beard. Thanks! Alexa

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We'd suggest the blackhole that is etsy — but beware of Grateful Dead Dancing Bears. Does anyone else have suggestions for Alexa?

Comments (17)

OMG I want this for my room. RRRRRRRR! I love bears. BEARS!

Well, other than some Grateful Dead art I can't really think of any other dancing bears than by the artist you mentioned.

The late Walter Payton converted the old train station in Aurora, the Roundhouse, into a really good brewery. On the wall of this great room hangs probably the largest "Dancing Bears" painting by Beard. It is absolutely amazing.

See it here:

http://www.chibarproject.com/Reviews/Roundhouse/Roundhouse.htm

sort of related -- little book from about 1960 that almost made it to the movie screen: Flight of the Dancing Bear by Mark Rascovich. delightful novel I enjoyed at age 11 and recently bought a vintage one on eBay.

Your print sure looks like it was done by the same artist who painted the mural in the earlier post -- but they are attributed to two different people. If that's so one is copying the other.

The art is delightful.

holland - you are incorrect...both the mural and the painting are attributed to William Holbrook Beard

Very few AT posts cause me to laugh out loud. This one was certainly worth a chuckle. My wife has had some off-the-wall cravings during her current pregnancy, but dancing bears? Not yet! :)

Hello - this is my first post and I couldn't resist because, who doesn't like dancing bears?

I have a bunch of vintage prints, etc. in a lame photo gallery that I keep meaning to make into a web site.

Here's one:

http://photos.vintageprintable.com/images/A_9/0/2/2/32209/Bear_and_cubs__Beard_126c5.jpg

Here's another, from a collection of French medieval prints:
http://photos.vintageprintable.com/images/A_9/0/2/2/32209/Bears___French_Medievel_4026a.jpg

Apologies, I'm not sure how these will enlarge to full poster size, it depends on the resolution. I collect mostly scientific/medical historical illustrations, but of course, who can resist dancing bears?

http://photos.vintageprintable.com/

You can click the tags or the gallery for more. Most of the images are hi-res, out of copyright(pre-1922)/royalty free and from libraries and government sources around the web. If anyone has any questions about sources, I can probably track them so just drop me an e mail.
Enjoy!

The Russian Tea Room in NYC had lots of dancing bear artwork- like this: flickr.com/photos/cresny/935319790/

If it's available, Mercury Posters in Rochester can find it for you. This is not an ad (I don't work there, in fact I live a thousand miles away). Anyway, the owner, Jim, is super knowledgeable about prints etc. and has tracked down rare/odd stuff for me before . . . just passing on a good source--

Oh, wow, thanks for all the responses! I love the painting in the Roundhouse. I did some research and the bears represent conservative financial investors celebrating a good day on the market. That's a LOT of dancing bears.

What a delightful & refreshing request :-) No suggestions, except that if you want to search etsy, type: dancing bears NOT dead - that will screen out the greatful dead bears.

I never considered dancing bears before - now I like them!

Yes! I got the same one as Caroline K from Thumbtack press as a gift for my dad last year - very cute, and nice quality print.

The Bear Dance (framed and with its own light!) has been brightening up my grandparents' dark, wood panelled den for ten years, ever since my poppy *insisted* they hang a huge print of it there. And after ten years, they're remodelling, to lighter (weight and color scheme), sleeker, more modern and fun decor, all around this print. Gypsies often kept bears (there's a picture of the bear that Django Reinhardt's family or friends of the family kept in a book about Gypsy jazz I've seen once), and there are some great black-and-white, semi-surreal pictures from the 30s-50s of caravans and dancing bears.