HISTORY OF THE TEDDY BEARBy Christina

“HE WOULD NEITHER SHOOT IT OF PERMIT IT TO BE SHOT” Have you heard the story of the Teddy Bear?? You

probably have. There are many version with many different endings. The story of our favourite stuffed animal starts off in Mississippi where Teddy Roosevelt the youngest president of the United States was off on a hunt in the woods.

The hunting dogs had chased down the bear and it was being held on a rope by another huntsmen. The huntsmen offered Teddy the kill.

Instead of shooting it like a regular huntsmen, Teddy refused to shoot the young tired bear. He would not let any of the other hunters shoot it either. This was the beginning.

DRAW

ING

THE LIN

E IN M

ISSISSIPPI

The next day, November 15, 1902 the event became famous to all the of states. It was quoted in The Washington Post that “he would neither shoot it or permit it to be shot”. The next day a cartoon of Teddy refusing to shoot the bear by Clifford Berrymon was released. This is the cartoon on the left.

Drawing the Line in Mississippi

THE ORIGINAL TEDDY The original teddy bear was invented by Rose and Morris

Michtom. The Michtoms were Russian immigrants that owned a small candy store in Brooklyn which also sold stuffed animals.

After seeing the cartoon of Teddy refusing a bear Rose Michtom

made two small stuffed bears. They had light coloured fur, black button eyes and movable arms and legs. The two bears were put in the front window with a sign that read “Teddy’s Bears”.

The bears sold very quickly and the Michtoms were making more and more. Eventually, Morris plucked up the courage and sent a letter and sample of the bears to Teddy Roosevelt asking if he could use Teddy’s name to promote the bears.

The president returned the letter in his own writing saying yes, that Morris could use the name but didn’t imagine how his name would be useful. Morris Michtom then brought the letter to the Ideal Toy Company for the Teddies to manufactured.

TEDDIES IN GERMANY At the same time as the birth of teddies in the U.S., teddies

were also being born in Germany in the German “Steiff Company”.

The Steiff Company was founded by Margrete Steiff in 1880. Margrete had polio as a child but overcame this by learning to sew.

The first stuffed animal Margrete made was a felt elephant in 1887. She kept the first one as a pin cushion for herself. In 1888 a monkey, donkey, horse, pig and camel joined the group. These animals were sold at a fair in 1893.

Margrete’s nephew Richard Steiff was an artist. He had always enjoyed drawing bears and looking at them in zoo’s. It was he who convinced Margrete to make small mohair bears. At first, no one bought the bears.

“I’LL TAKE 3000, PLEASE” No one wanted them. These cute little teddies were all

beginning to pile up in the store windows. The bears in Germany were now known as “Friend Petz” as Teddy meant nothing to the Germans.

The teddy bear first became really famous in 1903. It was the 1093 Leipzig fair and lots of things were for sale. The teddies were all sitting in Margrete’s booth just waiting to be sold. “Please buy me” they were all thinking. Little did they know that there wish was about to come true.

It almost the end of the day. Margrete had sold all the other animals when suddenly an American business man came up to the booth. He inspected the little bears and asked a few questions. Finally he said “I’ll take 3000 please”.

The teddies were overjoyed to be sold. This was the beginning of the teddies reign in Germany.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE TEDDY Teddies were staring to become famous all over the

world. In the U.S. Teddy Roosevelt was having a wedding reception for his daughter. The theme was teddies in hunting clothes with little rifles. When the guests asked Teddy what type of bear the toys were a, another guests called it “Teddy.”

In Germany 1908, Steiff manufactured 1 000 000 teddies. Other German Companies had begun to make bears too but the “Knopf im Ohr” or “button in ear” trademark was already known as the first bears. Though Margrete Steiff died in 1909 the teddies were now famous all through the world.

In 2002 the Teddy Bears turned 100 years old.

Steiff Company Logo“Knopf Im Ohr”“Button in Ear”

SPECIES OF TEDDIES There are many different species of teddies in the world today. The

most famous company would be The Steiff Company founded by Margrete Steiff in 1880, which was one of the first companies to ever make teddies.

Other types might be Gund, founded by Adolph Gund in 1898 and TY, Inc., a stuffed animal company from Westmont, Illinois. Care Bears, another foundation was created in 1983 and was very popular in 80’s and 90’s.

Merrythought and Dakin Bears were also famous in the 1980’s. Dakin had the “Misha” bears from the 1980 Olympics. Merrythought bears turned 80 this year. Russ Berrie and Company is also an extremely famous teddy company.

The most famous types of teddies right now are Build-a-Bears. Build-a-Bears were founded by Maxine Clark in 1997. Build-a-Bears is now famous all over the world.

FAMOUS TEDDIES Have you ever heard of Winnie the Pooh, Paddington or Corduroy???

How about Yogi, Fozzy or Rudy??? Old Bear? Little Bear? The Berenstein Bear???

All of these are famous. We’ve seen them everywhere, in books, TV, actual stuffed animals and in music. These teddies have grown up with us as part of our childhood.

The bears are famous through out the world and everyone knows them. We all have stories of about our favourite bears. These bears have all become celebrities of childhood and part of a time that will be unforgettable.

The bears are also marketed very well by companies. They show up in huge stores and have their own TV show and books. These bears become famous because of an attachment that people have to them. The bears are incredibly cute and people develop a feeling of comfort and safety from a bear.

TEDDY THEME SONGS The Teddy Bear’s Picnic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZANKFxrcKU

Winnie the Pooh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qielzI4-acg

The Great Root Bear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VROlhtRYcA

Paddington http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YibHQ5rSm_I

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEDDIES Teddies have appeared everywhere in our culture. In TV, books,

toys, art, even food. Ever since 1902 when Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a poor tired little black bear teddies have appeared every where.

Teddies have become an important part of everyone’s life because of this incident. Though it seemed wrong back then not to shoot the bear it actually seems as though it was a blessing in disguise. Teddies bears are almost magical. They can help you through things and they always listen.

There are many stories of teddy bears having therapeutic powers. A favourite one of mine is of a little boy in a car accident. There was nothing wrong with his left eye but he refused to open it. Then, a doctor out a small furry bear in boy’s left arm. The little boy began to pat the bear very fast. Then, he opened his left eye to look at the bear.

It seems as that these soft little bears that are just made up of fabric and stuffing have become much more than a toy. They have become part of our history and our life. There creation was an event on one will ever forget.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bialosky, Peggy and Alan.The Teddy Bears Catalog. New

York:Workman Publishing Company, Inc,1980. Bull, Peter.The Teddy Bear Book. Winscomb,England:House

of Nisbet Ltd.,1983. http://www.bearhollow.net/teddy_roosevelt.htm http://www.buildabear.ca/aboutus/ourcompany/ourfounder.a

spx http://www.cymruted.com/html/timeline.html http://home.russberrie.com/rbdocs/portalHome/home.html http://www.merrythought.co.uk/ http://www.russberrie.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Care_Bears http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gund http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_bear http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ty_Inc

PICTURES Merrythought Bear http://www.arundelteddybears.co.uk Steiff Bear (sitting) http://www.babyjacks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&manufact

urers_id=112&sort=20a&page=2 Steiff Bear (with bow) http://www.beargarden.co.uk/news.php?id=768 Teddy Roosevelt Cartoon http://www.bearhollow.net Russ Bear (sitting with red bow) http://www.bears4u.co.uk/Brawson_Bear.php Teddy Bear Picnic http://blissfullydomestic.com/2009/teddy-bear-picnic-day Corduroy Bear http://www.bookpage.com/9801bp/childrens/corduroy.html

PICTURES Little Bear http://www.childrenssoftwareonline.com/little_bear_preschool_thinking_adventures_s

oftware.html Build Bear http://www.coupondad.com Winnie the Pooh http://disneysnowglobescollectables.com/disney-characters/winnie-the-pooh-snow-gl

obes/ Teddy Roosevelt http://www.fortunespawn.com Russ Bear (two) http://www.fromourheart.com/home.asp Russ Bear (brown) http://www.fromourheart.com/Store/Shop_By_Price/ten_to_fifteen_dollars.asp Dakin Bear http://www.home-and-garden.webshots.com The Great Root Bear http://jordanmorningstarblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/ TY bear http://www.lillisque.co.uk

PICTURES Gund Bear http://www.losangeles.ebayclassifieds.com Yogi Bear http://mytinyspot.blogspot.com/2009/06/decession-stock-market-yogi-bear-m

arket.html The Berenstein Bears http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/53052 Margrete Steiff http://www.maps.thefullwiki.org Paddington Bear http://www.news.com.au/weird-true-freaky/police-quiz-peruvian-refugee-calle

d-paddington-bear/story-e6frflri-1111115074628 Steiff Bear (sitting on suitcase) http://www.ockywhite.co.uk Original Teddy Bear http://www.onward-store.com Old Bear http://www.paulcastlemusic.com

PICTURES Fozzy Bear http://secondeffort.blogspot.com/2010/05/words-you-cant-say-at-work.html Ideal Toy Company Logo http://www.seeklogo.com Richard Steiff http://steiffshop.co.uk Original Steiff Bear http://southbabygifts.com Russ Bear (sitting with blue border) http://www.teddybearshops.net/Russ.html Steiff Bear (standing) http://www.theoriginalgift.co.uk/Classic-1920s-Replica-Steiff-Bear/Product1_22

552_-1_60405_11056 Steiff Bear (waving) http://toniscollectables.com Morris Michtom http://www.wikitree.com

THE END