Info about Teddy Bears
Teddy Bear History
The teddy bear is one of the most famous stuffed toys. Teddy bears have become a classic and lasting gift. They are popular for bringing comfort to children. They are often chosen as gifts for children for various occasions. Sometimes, when children have to be hospitalized, the hospital will even give them one for comfort.
It seems like teddy bears have always been around because they have been around since 1902 so they have been in existence for our entire lives. The idea was actually triggered Teddy Roosevelt, our twenty-sixth president, when he was on hunting trip. He was on a trip in November of 1902 to settle a dispute between Louisiana and Mississippi over their border. While on the trip he was hunting with friends, his group ran up on a little bear. Roosevelt’s friends wanted him to shoot it, but he would not because he said it was unsportsmanlike.
Clifford Berryman was inspired by this event and drew a political cartoon that illustrated it. Berryman’s cartoon inspired Morris Michtom to make a stuffed bear and call it a teddy bear. The teddy bear fad became such a craze that children as well as ladies of society carried a teddy bear everywhere. The teddy bear was used by President Roosevelt in his campaign for re-election and he won a second term.
The teddy bear continued to grow in popularity, and many companies started making all kinds of teddy bears. The teddy bear became popular in cultures all over the world.
At the beginning of World War II, the popularity of the teddy bear declined. However, when Peter Bull, a British actor declared his love for teddy bears, it saw another rise in popularity. Teddy bears as an art was started by an America doll maker, Beverly Port. It became more than only a toy and grew into an a collectible item. Many old teddy bears started showing up at antique toy and doll auctions and started winning very high bids. In 1994 a bear called “Teddy Girl” brought $176,000, a record price, at Christie’s auction house.
Teddy bears are often personalized in different ways. There are even some stores where you can take children to design and build their own teddy bear. These bears built by kids often become treasured keepsakes to commemorate many different occasions. Even some adults enjoy designing and making a teddy bear. Sometimes they make them for themselves and sometimes they are given to a special child in their life.
Teddy bears are toys that will probably be found in any kid’s room for many years to come. It is a gift that is treasured by both children and adults and can be given for any occasion such as birthdays and Christmas. Many holiday bears have been designed that have the year embroidered on their foot. Some people get a new bear for every year. There have been many teddy bear collections that have been passed down from one generation to another. Some of these collections could contain valuable antique teddy bears without the owner even realizing it.