Teddy Bear History

To many of us it is hard to remember our childhood without at least one cuddly teddy

bear perched somewhere in our bedrooms or having some part to play in our growing up. Yet, what brought about the use of a teddy bear to bring comfort to a child and where did the teddy bear come from? It was in 1902 that the teddy bear was invented, simultaneously in Germany and in the USA. The story behind the development of the teddy in America, was attributed to the US President President Roosevelt. The President was in Mississippi hunting, which wasn`t going to well, until someone in the party captured and tethered a bear. The president was then invited to shoot the bear, however, the president declined adding spare the bear, I will not shoot a tethered animal. A cartoon depiction was then later published in the Washington Post. That same month Brooklyn shopkeepers Morris and Rose Michtom, decided that they would make a soft toy bear, to honour their President. The bear was called Teddy Bear and was displayed in their shop front. The bear became an immediate hit, with its sweet and cuddly design. The Michtoms went on to make their fortunes with the help of the teddy bear through the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company and the President had found himself an effective political mascot.

In Giengen, Germany, Margarete Steiff was the owner of a stuffed toy business. Her nephew Richard Steiff, who was a former art student, who enjoyed sketching bear cubs at the Stuttgart zoo, designed a bear which his aunt made as a prototype. The Steiffs introduced their first bear at a Toy Fair and an American buyer ordered 3,000, seizing upon the bear popularity that was gripping the United States.

Many teddy bear manufacturers began to appear during this boom period, with the American teddy bear manufacturers facing stiff competition from German manufacturers, due to the fact that Germany had an established toy making industry. In England the J.K. Farnell & Co began to establish themselves and one of the most famous bears Winnie The Pooh was originally a Farnell bear. Despite the First World War, the bear industry was still healthy, however, with the outbreak of World War II, factories were used to manufacture arms and not teddy bears. Between the 1950`s and 1970`s, the established teddy bear producers began to struggle with their high quality, hand finished teddies, when competing against cheap imports from the Far East. However, a saviour was to be found in the way of a British Actor, Peter Bull. Peter Bull appeared in films such as Dr Strangelove, Oliver Twist and Scrooge to name just a few, had an interest in Teddy Bears and openly admitted his love for them. This led him to write a book about his affection for teddy bears, which helped to initiate the resurgence of the teddy.

Today, antique teddy bears, such as those manufactured by Steiff are highly desirable and can be sometimes be seen making an appearance in toy auctions. In 1994, Christies Auction House sold a Steiff teddy bear called Teddy Girl which sold for $176,000. It has been estimated that in 1999 in the United States alone $441 million was spent on teddy bears by collectors.

Teddy Bear History

By: Ryan Dalli

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