Many people today can admit to owning at least one or several teddy bears at some point in their childhood. Teddy bears have tagged along with children on vacations, wartime evacuations and those dreaded trips to the doctor, providing comfort and quiet companionship. But teddy bears only became popular fairly recently, originating in 1902.
It started with the former U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt, as he embarked on a hunting trip with several others. Some of the hunters had managed to beat and tie a black bear to a tree and requested that President Roosevelt shoot it. Taking pity upon the cornered and hurt creature, Roosevelt ordered that it should not be killed to save it from additional unnecessary pain. In the weeks to follow, Roosevelt became renowned for his benevolent actions. After a cartoonist immortalized the story in a newspaper, a toy manufacturer named Morris Michtom made a special request of the President. Inspired by the story, he had created a small, cute toy bear and asked if he could name it after Roosevelt. 
With permission granted, Michtom started selling his bears bearing the name, ���Teddy�۪s Bear�. The bears became an overnight success!
By a couple of years later, there were a number of other toy companies who wanted a piece of this hot new toy market. They started churning out their own spin on Teddy�۪s bear. These toy bears became so popular that it was imperative for children to own them and even fashionable ladies would carry them around. While the bears were originally modeled to resemble real bears, later versions were made to look cuter, resembling the models that we see in stores today. By the end of the century, the teddy bear industry was skyrocketing. Teddy bears were not only limited to toy stores, but they were appearing in literature and popular culture too. Paddington Bear, Winnie the Pooh and The Care Bears are just some examples of teddy bears that made it into books and television. Today teddy bears make up a billion dollar industry, with dedicated museums, festivals, collectors and specialized stores around the world. While they are still popular as children�۪s toys, they are also sometimes given as gifts between couples on Valentine�۪s Day and other festive occasions. Browse through the resources below to learn more about the origins of the lovable teddy bear and its significance today.
Teddy Bear History
- The Origins of Teddy Bears
- Frequently Asked Questions About Teddy Bears and Their History
- Theodore Roosevelt and the Bear
- View The Original Cartoon Depicting Roosevelt on the Bear Hunt
- The Official Story of How Roosevelt Inspired Teddy Bears
- America's Story: Teddy Bears
- View Some of Clifford K. Berryman�۪s Teddy Bear Cartoons from the Early 1900s
- In 1903, the First Teddy Bear was Sold
- Teddy Bear
- Drawing the Line in Mississippi
- The Teddy Bear Museum History Page
- A Historic Timeline of Steiff Bears
- How Much Would an Original Steiff Bear Fetch Today?
- What Did the First Teddy Bear Look Like?
- A Detailed Timeline of Teddy Bears
- Teddy Bear Origins to Current Popularity
- View an Archival Image of Workers in an Early Teddy Bear Factory
- Facts and Timeline About Teddy Bears
- Even by the 80s, the Teddy Bear Market was Saturated
- General Information and Archival Images of Teddy Bears
- An Archived Article of the Teddy Bear Centennial Anniversary
Teddy Bear Links
- A Comprehensive List of Teddy Bear Museums Worldwide
- How to Appraise the Value of a Teddy Bear
- How to Date and Identify Teddy Bears
- The W. L. Simpson Antique Teddy Bear Collection
- A Teddy Bear Donation Club
- Daniel Agnew, a Teddy Bear Specialist
- Terminology for Teddy Bear Collectors
- An Article on the Popularity of Collecting Teddy Bears
- Ken Yenke, Museum Curator and Authority on Teddy Bears
- Teddy Bear Gallery and Expo Shows in the U.S.
- Teddy Bear Review Magazine
- Teddy Bear Fairs and Other Events in the U.K.
- A Look at the Rarest Antique Teddy Bears
- Teddy Bear Times Magazine
- The Doll and Teddy Bear Artist & Collector Convention
- The Teddy Bear Artist Invitational
- Doll and Teddy Bear Expo
- Famous Bears
- Build-a-Bear Workshop
- Susan Quinlan Doll and Teddy Bear Museum and Library
- Steiff
- Teddy Bear Clubs and Associations
- Teddy Bear Collector
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