A PHOTOGRAPHER is encouraging people to discover Cornwall virtually over the next fortnight through the eyes of a travelling bear.
Olaf von Dombrowski hopes that in the current difficult times, when people are being asked to stay at home, the fun photographs taken during his previous visits to the UK will bring a little joy into people’s lives as they take a virtual journey through the Duchy.
The images might even inspire people, after the lockdown restrictions lift, to discover parts of Cornwall they didn’t know before, he says, as the bear sometimes even amazes the locals with what there is to see in the county.
A professional musician turned music producer and nightclub owner, Olaf’s life took a different turn after meeting his wife Birgit.
The couple had already visited the UK and Cornwall many times when, on a recent trip, they spotted a Teddy bear they named Cheddar.
With Olaf’s mum at home in Germany struggling after suffering two bereavements, Olaf and Birgit decided to use the bear to make a travel diary of photographs that would lift her spirits when they got back.
Loving the book, and finding that it brought her a lot of pleasure, Olaf’s mother encouraged him to take the idea forward to share with others – and so the idea of the Travelling Teddy Bear art exhibition was born.
First shown at the Newquay Arts Festival, Olaf’s photographs have since been exhibited in England, Germany, France and the Netherlands, and he says he’s proud to be the only German photographer to have secured a spot at the Windsor and Royal Borough Museum.
Now, Olaf is inviting everyone, whether local or far away, to enjoy visiting Cornwall virtually by taking a look at the exhibition online over the next fortnight.
He’s uploading photographs each day on social media – look for www.facebook.com/TheTravellingTeddyBear, www.instagram.com/the_travelling_teddy_bear or