Teddies: the bear facts

Press, 14 January 1986, Page 18

Teddies: the bear facts

The teddy bear as we know it began life in the United States in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt, nicknamed “Teddy,” refused to shoot a small bear cub when he was out hunting. A toy manufacturer requested permission to make a small bear and call it Teddy after the President. Teddy bears were an instant success. The manufacturer was Morris Michtom, founder of the Ideal Toy Corporation of America.

In Germany, during the same year, a woman called Margaret Steiff also made bears. The Steiff bears were exhibited at the Leipzig Fair in 1904 and the firm was overwhelmed with orders. Steiff bears reached a peak in production in 1907 when 974,000 bears were produced. The very successful years of the factory are known as “Barenjahre” — the “bear years.” The bear was, however, popular as a children’s

toy long before the Teddy bear arrived on the scene. Mishka is a traditional Russian bear folk toy and in Victorian England Bruin the bear was a favourite. The name Bruin was eventually to be replaced by Teddy. Growling bears were introduced in 1908, but a squeak later replaced the growl. British firms, set up when the demand for German bears became too great to supply British needs, had

plenty of business. It is interesting to note that in Britain a “Barbara Bear,” in white, was made in 1910. She never gained popularity.

Bears were soon everywhere in Britain — smart young women paraded on the seashore with their bears, bears were fixed to cars as mascots, and were carried to fashionable parties and in drawing rooms.

P.S. (Pawscript): Teddy bears never die — they just grow old.