The story of the teddy bear
It’s hard to imagine a world of stuffed animals without teddy bears; They are a staple of any toy collection. Interestingly, the teddy bear was not simply developed as a stuffed version of a real bear. In fact, the teddy bear has only been around since the early years of the 20th century.
According to most sources, the teddy bear first appeared in the United States and Germany in 1902. Popular accounts of the bear’s initial appearance in North America begin with a cartoon drawn by Clifford Berryman called “Drawing the Line in Mississippi. ” The comic showed then-President Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a cute-looking little bear. As legend has it, Roosevelt had visited Mississippi to help in a border dispute and during the trip, he was taken to hunt bears. Berryman was inspired to create the cartoon, showing an account of Roosevelt’s failed hunting experience and his attempt to play mediator.
The cartoon appeared in The Washington Post in late 1902 and was an instant hit with readers, leading to its eventual nationwide publication. Even Brooklyn-based Morris and Rose Michtom were motivated to design a stuffed animal that mirrored the drawing, calling it “Teddy’s Bear.” The Michtoms placed the bear in their store window and its popularity grew so rapidly that, together with the Butler Brothers, they helped establish the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, the first American manufacturer dedicated to the production of teddy bears.
During the same time, Margarete Steiff and her nephew Richard Steiff were involved in the stuffed toy business in Germany. Ironically, Richard created a new stuffed animal design that featured a softer looking teddy bear, similar to Michtom’s. Today, it is easy for designers and developers to research toy ideas and determine whether something has already been done or not, but in the early 1900s, it was highly likely that neither designer was aware of the other’s progress.
The following year, the Steiffs unveiled their first bear, “Baer 55PB,” at a toy fair. An American toy buyer saw the bear and was instantly intrigued, due to the teddy bear craze that was sweeping his home country at the time.
Only 4 years after the creation of the first teddy bear, its popularity grew incredibly. Teddy bears were featured in household goods and collectibles, magazines were produced, and songs were developed honoring the latest bear craze. Of course, the teddy bears were a hit with the kids, who reveled in the cuteness and sweetness of the teddy bear as we know it today.
