History
The
World of Teddy Bears and Collecting.
Teddy Bears
Teddy Bears, Who are
they? What are they? Where do they come from?
Teddy bears are one of those special play mates we people dreamed up. A great courageous
and wise animal with a child-like character. Huggable, peaceful, and always
willing to listen. The teddy bear over the years have helped to raise and
nurture
our families both as a symbol of strength & courage and as a comforter in
times of trouble. We have welcomed them into our families, and in return they have
helped us in times of need. We have trusted the teddy bear with our most precious
secrets and our greatest wonders, our
kids. Why is it we have welcome them in our homes, our children's
arms, and our hearts more so than any other...? Is it because of their strength
or their courage, or perhaps their playfulness? Could it be that they are always
there and never let us down, or is it that they can make us laugh when nothing
else can? Perhaps they remind us of mans best friend, a fun loving playful
puppy, or could it all just be, Teddy Bear Magic!
One thing is clear the teddy bear represents one of the most loveable looking animals on
earth, the
great bears. Whether a grizzly, brown, black bear, polar or panda bears they
truly have a loveable way.
How
Teddy Bear got his name
Back in the early part of the 20th
century there was no such thing as the "Teddy Bear". In 1902 President
Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt (President: September 14, 1901- March 4, 1909)
had been negotiating a boundary dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana.
President Roosevelt was an enthusiastic hunter and during this time an arranged
bear hunting trip was planned in Mississippi. During the hunt the presidents
guides found and old bear that had been crippled by the hunt dogs. They tied the
old bear up and proceeded to get Roosevelt to do the kill. The president
was said to have refused to shoot a chained-up injured bear. It was this moment
in history that brought Roosevelt and the bear together. The Washington
Post or Star reported on the hunt and the incident. Cartoonist
Clifford K. Berryman produced a cartoon depicting a chained up Black bear with
Roosevelt in the foreground facing away from the bear holding his rifle in one
hand and holding his other hand in the air as a jester of no! Mr. Berryman
showed a boundary line as if a line was drawn on the ground and wrote; Drawing
the line in Mississippi, aligning the hunt with the border dispute between
Mississippi and Louisiana.
Berryman's
cartoon received much publicity. A man by the name of Morris Michtom, a Russian
immigrant who owned a small sweetshop in Brooklyn New York who had an eye for
good ideas and foresight started to use his shops display windows to showcase
his wife's handmade toys and dolls in and attempt to attract new
customers. It was Berryman's cartoon that inspired Michtom to make a brown
plush bear that he showcased in his display windows. In no time the bear
was sold and orders were coming in for more. Mr. Michtom the shrewd businessman,
realized the need to capitalize on their success and had the idea to name
their bears after the President. The Michtom's designed and produced a bear to be
presented to the White House, accompanying a request to use the presidents name
for their stuffed bears. The President didn't think his name would do much good
for the image of their bears but gladly gave his permission. The Michtome used
Theodore Roosevelt's nick-name his family had called him, Teddy, hence Teddy
Bear. Soon after sales were better than anyone had hoped for and Mr. Michtom
decided to sell his idea to the Ideal Toy Corporation. The Teddy Bear was born
and proudly named, and so this is the beginning of TeddyBearWonderland's magical
teddy bear journeys of how it was, how it is, and how it yet shall be, as told
to us by Grandpa Boppy and his family.
Stay
Tuned!
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Web Site: http://www.teddybearwonderland.com
E-mail Address: marechal@earthlink.net
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Inc. All rights reserved.
