History of the American Teddy Bear

Roosevelt

• In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt went on a bear hunt in Mississippi, but the hunt was unsuccessful. Not wanting to disappoint the President, his hosts captured a bear for him to shoot. However, Roosevelt refused to shoot the defenseless animal. Artist Clifford Berryman drew a cartoon depicting the event that appeared in the November 16, 1902 edition of "The Washington Post." It prompted Rose and Morris Michtom to create a plush bear toy to commemorate the President Roosevelt's action. The toy, originally named "Teddy's Bear," became an instant sensation.

German Roots

• Margarete Steiff was working a toy factory in Germany in 1902. According to Marianne Clay in her article "The History of the Teddy Bear," Steiff's nephew Richard sketches of cubs at the Stuttgart Zoo led her to add plush toy bears to the company line. Multiple sources note that the Michtoms and Steiff were likely unaware of each other due to the lack of intercontinental communication. Another American toy buyer, Hermann Berg, purchased 3,000 Steiff's and sold them in the U.S. That helped make Steiff internationally known as a maker of fine teddy bears (and other toys), a reputation that was still in place as of 2010.

Popularity

• The toy became a familiar image to the American public as Roosevelt adopted "Teddy's Bear" as his political mascot. The popularity of the plush toy grew in 1926 with the publication of the first of A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books.

Production

• Most teddy bears were hand-crafted until the Great Depression when companies turned to less costly ways of creating the toy. Asia entered the market after World War II, which led to another wave of cheap, mass produced teddy bears being imported to America. Asian toymakers more readily adapted to consumer demands for different materials as well. Marianne Clay notes, "Buyers liked the idea of washable toys, so bears were made from nylon or acrylic plush, and had plastic eyes and foam rubber stuffing."

The Modern Teddy Bear

• Teddy bears have taken on a variety of forms but as of 2010, remain a popular plush toy and collectible item. Hand-made creations by "teddy bear artists" cater to picky teddy bear lovers, and antique teddy bears from the early 20th century have fetched more than $100,000 in auction. Collectors also gather together across the globe at Teddy Bear conventions, including the International Teddy Bear Convention held in America since 1983. The 2010 convention in California advertised bears for sale from $5 to $500.