Welcome to stuffed teddy bears
Click here to see a selection of teddy bears
From the smallest to the giant, the toy is seen everywhere, made of a variety of materials from mohair and alpaca to synthetic and even real fur. A welcome present both for children and adults, sometimes seen elaborately dressed in any imaginable style from a Victorian lady to perhaps a basketball player.
Click here to see a selection of popular cuddly, soft teddy bears
Easily the most popular plush toy worldwide, despite the perennial trends that come and go with every Christmas, Teddy bears date back to 1902, and we can consider their heyday stretching up until World War II, as in these early years they were crafted by hand and made with natural fabrics and materials such as s are alpaca, felt, mohair, and woven plush.
The story? It is the often told story of the twenty-sixth U.S. President ,Theodore Roosevelt (nicknamed Teddy) going on a hunting expedition in Mississippi and after days, failing to find prey. His companions on the trip, (among them the governor of the state) then presented him with a black bear to kill. Considering such conduct unsportsmanlike as well as inhumane, he refused, although instructed them to euthanize the bear which was mortally wounded.
The word spread worldwide, thanks to a cartoon drawn by the Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman published in the Washington Post. It was very much akin to the viral videos of YouTube today, in bringing the tale to such prominence.
The incident and the cartoons inspired toy makers both in America and in Germany who separate and appart from each other, but virtually simultaneously, so far as the story goes began to manufacture toy bears. There was the Brooklyn, New York based Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. founder Morris Michtom who requested and received permission from the President to name the new toy a Teddy Bear.
Across the ocean, German toymaker Margarete Steiff whose eponymous company began making the toys first designed by her nephew Richard Steiff, which were meticulously crafted from the finest materials, notably mohair and woolen fabrics, plush and felt.
The bears, made individually were given glass eyes and jointed legs and arms and stuffed with wood shavings. And with what has become the signature style, each bear had a tag in the ear, a tradition which continues to this day. The company whose motto from the founder herself — “Only the best is good enough for children” — has set the standard for the teddy bear which in addition to being a beloved toy for people of all ages, a valuable collectible which can also be found in special museums around the world, some of which have closed in recent years, but can be found online.
Today with mass production, Teddy bears are literally all over the world. One does not even have to go to a toy shop as they can be found online, personalized, shipped free, customized, given names and birth certificates. No matter where you are, a Teddy bear is only a few clicks away.
There are many revered manufacturers including the Bearington Collection, Boyds, and Gund. Click here to see several of these famed teddy bears
Reaching popularity for personalizing and customizing which allows adults and children alike to express creativity are the Vermont Teddy Bear and the Build a Bear companies. Steiff still produces the traditional handmade Teddy bear after closing down cheap mass production in China.
All can be found online alongside many smaller and lesser known quality manufacturers as well as artisans whose one of a kind bears are highly prized. With an Internet presents that can stretch back more than for more than a dozen years are hobby, craft, collectors’ and enthusiasts’ sites such as Teddy Bear.com and several Teddy Bear Museums. The plush toy has always had a strong presence on the World Wide Web.
They are part of the popular culture and lore worldwide, tributes have been in song, the classic 1907 Teddy Bear Picnic notably recorded in the early 1930s by Henry Hall and His Orchestra to the Elvis Presley (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear classic. Yes, you can even adopt a real black bear online.
Even Forbes magazine weighed in on the subject of collectible Teddy Bears and their enduring appeal In 2002 the Teddy Bear celebrated 100 years. We are sure he will reach the milestone birthday of two hundred and beyond. Ever since capturing the hearts of people worldwide, though yesterday’s equivalent of viral video, with Berryman’s classic Teddy bear cartoons (of which there were several), but it was the one above which sparked the intensity of interest which to this day has not ended.
That is the story and the legacy of stuffed teddy bears which continues to unfold.
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