There are several stories of how the
first Teddy Bear began. A lady named Magarete Steiff
(1847-1909)
who was stricken with polio and spent
most of her life in a wheel chair, had been successfully producing
stuffed animals made of felt in Germany. Later on she made
the first toy bear made of mohair and jointed arms, legs and head.
When an American named George Borgfeld heard of this, he ordered
3000 right away. The bears became so popular that by 1903,
over 12,000 Steiff bears had been ordered and shipped to the
United States. Every
Steiff product was identified
by a metal button in the ear.
Early
Steiff Teddy Bear circa 1905 to 1908
The increased demand and the popularity
of the bear culminated with the most popular of all with
President Roosevelt
(1858-1919). Mr. Roosevelt was one day hunting in
Mississippi in 1902 when a small bear cub was captured for him to
shoot. He refused to do so. The next day, The
Washington Post had created a cartoon depicting the bear and the
president. Soon the bear became known as the "Teddy" bear
since Mr. Roosevelt's first name was Theodore or 'Teddy'.
Store owners Morris and Rose Michtom capitalized on this and
started making their own version of the Teddy Bear and led to the
creation of a successful company named, the Ideal Toy Company in
the United States. The bears had movable limbs and shoe button
eyes and was displayed in their store front as early as 1903.
Early American Teddy Bear circa 1907
to 1914
Birthday Bears by Vermont Teddy Bear
Soon the
popularity of Teddy Bears dramatically increased worldwide and
other countries also started producing their own version of Teddy
Bears. Today, Teddy Bears are still popular. Companies
that market their teddy bears have created new marketing concepts
and letting children 'create' their own bears like the
Vermont Teddy Bear
and
Build a Bear. Children
can visit any store locations, pick their own bears and stuff them
on site. They can also select from a wide variety of
clothing and accessories to accompany their bear. Private
event planning companies like
Tea Cakes and Teddy Bears
have added an extra dimension by providing the "stuff your own
bear" concept in addition to having an all-out fancy affair by
providing dress-up, crafts, formal tea party decor, Teddy Bear 3-D
cake, photo shoots, props and favors among many all-inclusive
items. Or to learn more about early bears and dolls visit
the
Wenham Museum in Wenham,
Massachusetts. A great way to end your visit is to head over
to the
Wenham Tea House for a nice
delicious Afternoon Tea, and bring along a beary friend too!
Bears and
Outfits provided by
Tea Cakes and Teddy Bears
Origin of the Teddy
Bear
