The Teddy Bear.

Originally, stuffed bears were referred to as simply browns or just bears. In November of 1902, the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt (who’s nickname was “Teddy” for good friends), an avid hunter, went on a bear-hunting trip while he was in Mississippi to give an opinion over a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana.

     Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, T.R. website.

The trip was covered with much interest by the nation (well, at least by the nation’s newspapers, as he had a large amount of reporters following him).

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.

During the trip, guides were catching a bear and tied it to a tree then invited the president to shoot it ! Roosevelt, a candid outdoors man and hunter, declined, saying it would be unsportsmanlike to kill a defenseless animal that way, also he claimed the bear was still a cub and to little to shoot.

                                    First Berryman drawing showed a small bear. Later pics already a man sized bear. Library of congress.

This scene was immortalized the next day by illustrator Clifford Berryman in a Washington Post political cartoon, which was quickly re-printed across the country.

       The bear tied on a tree – ready for shooting (right pic).  Section of the riverfront mural in Vicksburg, Mississippi.  The Riverfront Murals program was undertaken by a team of artists, led by Robert Dafford, from Louisiana. The project took seven years and was completed in 2009. Worth to visit, in case you follow once the history path of Vicksburg.

The first Teddy Bear.

Morris Michtom, a Russian emigrant and owner of a candy store in Brooklyn, saw the drawing of Roosevelt and the bear cub and was inspired to create a new toy, because after hours of the candy store he made stuffed animal toys like little plush pony’s etc. He created a little stuffed bear cub, made by his wife Rose, and put it in his shop window with a sign that read “Teddy’s bear“. After sending another bear to Roosevelt he was receiving permission to use his nickname „Teddy“. The toys were an immediate success and Michtom founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co.

                                                               Left: First Michtom bear, now behind glass in the Smithonian Museum.  Right: Teddy Roosevelt with that same bear. The „tough outdoor man“ didn’t like being photographed, with a soft toy, very much. T.R. website.

North American educator Seymour Eaton (a pen name for Paul Piper) created Teddy B and Teddy G (The Roosevelt Bears) in a newspaper series which grew into huge commercial success.

                                   Original news paper page from 16th of march 1905. The Paul Piper Bears released in the Detroit Journal.

While composer John Walter Bratton wrote an instrumental “The Teddy Bears Picnic”, a “characteristic two-step”, in 1907.

  John Bratton’s original music sheet from 1907.

According to historians, the most enduring and oldest juvenile bear story is “The Three Bears”. It’s definite origin is unknown. However, the oldest manuscript is Eleanor Mure’s, from 1831, found in Toronto’s Public Library.

      The extreme rare reprint from 1967.

The Toronto Library offered a photographic reproduction of the original manuscript in 1967 as a limited edition. This reprint (50 years ago) is already an extremely rare and sought after collectors item.

  Steiff bear with an extremely rare „Steiff Ball“. Collectors items.

Steiff.

In 1902 the German toy company Steiff had developed a toy bear with jointed arms and legs and covered in a soft fiber called Plush. It was the brainchild of Richard Steiff, nephew of the company’s founder Margarete Steiff, a heavily handicapped but strong women.

     Margarethe Steiff surrounded by her first group of employes infront the newly build Soft Toy Fabric, around 1895. Steiff museum.

This bear was introduced to the German public at the Leipzig Toy Fair in spring 1903. But there was not much interest. Richard Steiff just putting all the bears back in the boxes, when Hermann Berg came around, a buyer for Borgfeldt in New York. Hermann Berg is captivated by this new soft toy and spontaneously he orders 3.000 bears – a massive order at that time.

  Steiff bear production from c. 1897 – left. And the first „Leipzig Bear“ from 1903 – right.  Steiff museum.

The old discussion about the FIRST TOY BEAR in history is not easy to clear. For sure, Michtom and Steiff couldn’t have known eachother.  May be Steiff produced the first bear but  Michtom got the first time named a bear „TEDDY“. Who really cares, who was first !

  Before Teddy, they just were called bears or browns.

Popularity.

Between 1903 and 1908 the number of Teddy Bears produced shot up from 12,000 to 975,000 per year. Their further popularity was increased by the introduction of two popular bear characters: Rupert Bear in 1920 and Winnie the Pooh in 1926.

Some of the best known manufacturers during this period were Steiff (Germany), Hermann (Germany), Farnell (England), Merrythought (England). The Ideal company in New York went still very sleepy and slow.

  Wonderful little Steiff bear collection from the 1920’s.

Steiff resumed production in 1947, and by 1948 had a workforce of almost 1000 people. By 1953 this figure had doubled as the company released a series of new models to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Teddy Bear.

During the 1960s the traditional manufacturers lost ground to companies in China and Indonesia, as cheaper mass-produced bears took over the market. But these mass produced toys could never take over the serious bear lover and bear collector, because of bad craftsmanship and cheap quality.

  Artist bears, „living“ in a private home.

Collecting.

Teddy Bear collectors are known as „arctophiles“.
A revival in high quality collectible bears started in 1969 when the popular British character actor Peter Bull wrote a book entitled “Bear With Me” (later re-titled “The Teddy Bear Book”) about his collection and affection for the toy.

                 Peter Bull books.

The idea of collecting Teddy Bears was placed back into the public consciousness, and collectors began to hunt for older models made by the traditional manufacturers. As this practice developed, the cottage industry of “bear artists” producing individual, hand made bears began to grow and the market for collectible bears was born.

  A fine collection of artist bears. All for sale.

In 1985 the Teddy Bear Artists Guild was formed in America, and Christie’s held its first auction dedicated to the sale of antique bears.

   Catalog of a special Teddy Bear auction at Christies.

The market for collectible bears is currently booming worldwide, and especially “mini bears” are widely collected, used as individual and personal gifts, as love tokens and as unique gifts for special occasions like Valentines, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas and many more. And the best is – good artist bears are very rare, collectible but still affordable.

  Artist Mini Bears, superb craftsmanship. Mostly made as a „one of a kind“ or in a very small (1-5) limited edition. Very collectable and still affordable.

Teddy Bear Books.

Teddy Bears are not just children’s toys nor just highly valuable collectable items. They are much loved, very important characters which have inhabited the childhood of most children in the world and are now firmly entrenched in our folklore.

  A few Teddy Bear Books from around the world. Click on pic !

Teddy Bears are as simple as human emotions. Teddy Bear books with all their fantasies, tales and stories reflect this emotional significance. Read a Teddy Bear book or take a Teddy Bear into your arms, you will start smiling, it creates automatically a positive and relaxing mind.

  One of the rarest bear books existing.   Print date unknown, but printed before bears were called „Teddy Bears“, around 1900.

Since “Teddy’s” introduction in 1903 and “Teddy’s Books” in 1905, the world has embraced this cuddly, furry, lovable, durable and dependable friend and confidant. Today and in future, they are still and will be a predominant choice of friendly, loveable toys all over the world.

Teddy Bears on Paper.

Of course Teddy Bear books are very collectable. But also Teddy Bear Postcards, Teddy Bear Music Sheets, Teddy Bear Advertising and all kind of other ephemera. But this will be topic of another collecting post.

  Wonderful moving-postcard of bears.

  Music sheet, not that old, from 1984, but very collectable.

                               Childrens’s menu card , Union Pacific Rail Road to Yellowstone Park, about 1950’s, extremely rare.

If not stated otherwise, all pics or shown items are part of authors private collection. Most of those rare collectors items are up for sale in the next few month. You are welcome to ask questions, they won’t be made public if you wish. Stay tuned to further posts and have a look from time to time in category „For Sale“. Thanks for your interest.