Celebrating Rupert the Bear's Canterbury connections and centenary

The tale of Rupert Bear is rooted firmly in Canterbury and begins with the story of the Caldwell Family.

The Caldwells were artists who worked on the restoration of stained-glass windows at Canterbury Cathedral.

Their daughter, Mary, attended Simon Langton Girls’ School and then studied at the Sidney Cooper School of Art, where she was tutored by Thomas Sidney Cooper, in Canterbury before going on to marry Herbert Tourtel.

Herbert worked for the Daily Express, and knowing his wife was somewhat of an artist, she was asked by the newspaper to invent a new children’s character.

Her creation, Rupert Bear, was born!

Mary published the first Rupert serial The Little Lost Bear in the Daily Express on Monday 8 November 1920. It quickly became very popular, and continued to run in the paper every day for fifteen years.

Mary Tourtel illustrated and wrote her Rupert stories until 1935, and her works have sold 50 million copies internationally!

Albert Bestall continued the strip cartoons and became well-known for the Rupert annuals – a number of which are on display at The Beaney.

Their new exhibition brings to life the museum's varied collection of Rupert the Bear objects and artworks.

The Beaney's interactive exhibition is open in the new year until Sunday 7 March.