The teddy bear was invented in the US and Germany in the early 20th century. The name comes from a hunting trip by President Theodore Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a tied-up bear. A soft toy was created and became popular, with millions sold by Steiff’s company. Teddy bears remain a beloved toy today.
The lovable teddy bear can be found in various guises all over the world. It mostly comes in the form of a stuffed animal, but can also be found on T-shirts, clothing, posters, lunch boxes, and more. Most people don’t know that teddy bears haven’t been around for that long. In fact, the teddy bear was invented in the United States and Germany almost simultaneously in the early 20th century.
In November 1902, US President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was involved in a hunting expedition in Mississippi. He was in the area to settle a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana. An avid hunter, Roosevelt was disappointed that he could not find any big game to shoot while hunting. In response, his host captured a black bear cub and tied it to a tree so Roosevelt could kill it.
Legend has it that Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear, reasoning that the action would be cruel since the animal was tied to a tree and helpless. Upon hearing of this incident, artist Clifford Berryman drew a cartoon of Roosevelt and the bear. He then had the cartoon published in the Washington Post.
That same month, Brooklyn store owners Morris and Rose Michtom created a soft toy in the shape of a teddy bear. They nicknamed it “Teddy’s Bear” and put it in the shop window along with a copy of the Berryman cartoon. Much to their surprise, Americans loved the idea and clamored to buy teddy bears. The original Teddy’s Bear sported a plump body, a triangle-shaped face, and long arms and legs. Soon, the Michtoms grew rich off the proceeds and were able to start the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.
Around the same time, a disabled German woman named Margarete Steiff owned a soft toy factory in the city of Giengen. Her company included a soft bear in her toy catalog. Earlier, her nephew Richard had convinced Steiff to add bears to her toy list. Richard reportedly had a thing for bears and thought they would be a good addition to Steiff’s product list.
Steiff began making soft bears, never realizing how popular they would become. In 1903, he sold 3,000 toy bears to people across the United States. Between 1903 and the start of World War I, millions of bears were purchased from the Steiff toy catalog. Each bear had a button sewn into its left ear, the trademark of the toys. People in England, the United States and Germany bought toys from Steiff’s company.
No one knows for sure who should be credited with creating the first teddy bears, but most people would agree that teddy bears enjoyed a long life. Their beginnings in the early 20th century paved the way for them to become one of the most popular toys to give to a child. Today, people buy teddy bears in all shapes, sizes and colors. Despite the annual influx of high-tech toys, the world’s love affair with the simple teddy bear continues to endure.
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