The teddy bear, or stuffed bear, is a stuffed animal. It is a traditional toy representing an animal, often used for the purpose of comforting children. In recent years, some teddy bear collection are said to be expensive because of their rareness. The first Teddy Bear Museum was built at Petersfield, Hampshire, England in 1984 and was founded by Judy Sparrow but is now closed.
Origin of "Teddy Bear"
The name Teddy Bear cams from the old U. S. President Theodore Roosevelt, whose nickname was "Teddy". The name came from an incident in a bear hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902, when Roosevelt was invited by Andrew H.Login, Governor of Mississippi. There were several other hunters in the competition and most of them had already killed an animal. A set of troopers of Roosevelt, led by Holt Collier, cornered, beaten, tied up and a black bear on a willow tree, after a long exhausting chase with hound dogs. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested that the president should take care of it. He refused to shoot the bear, thinking that the act is unsportsmanlike, but instructed that the bear be killed out of its misery. This incident became the subject of an editorial cartoon by Clifford Berryman in the Washington Post on November 16, 1902. While the initial cartoon of an adult black bear, tied by a white handler and a disgusted Roosevelt had symbolic overtones, later issues and other Berryman cartoons made the bear small and cute.
Morris Michtom saw the drawing of Roosevelt and the bear cub and he was inspired to create a new toy. He created a small stuffed bear and put it in the window of his store with a sign that read "Teddy Bear" after sending a sample stuffed toy to Roosevelt. After receiving permission to use president Roosevelt's name. The toys were an immediate success and established Michtom and Ideal Toy Co.
Other manufacturers had joined in 1906 and the craze of "Teddy Bears" spread like wildfire. Ladies carried them everywhere, children were photographed with them, and Roosevelt used one as a mascot in his re-election. American educator Seymour Eaton wrote the children's book series The Roosevelt Bears, while composer John Bratton wrote "The teddy bears in two stages," which, with the addition of the words of Jimmy Kennedy became the song "The Teddy Bears Picnic."
The first teddy bears were made to look like real bears, with a long snout and protruding eyes. But now, Teddy bears tend to have large eyes and forehead and it's nose smaller with baby-like features that make them more attractive to buyers because they increase the friendliness of toys, and can even be pre-coat.
Types of teddy bears
- Commercial Teddy Bears - Commercial teddy bears are predominantly made for the public such as give-aways in large commercial events, and as children's toys. These bears have safety joints for attaching arms, legs and head. You should avoid even the eyes with safety lock suffocation by minors. These bears have strict production standards in the U.S. and EU markets.
- Teddy Bear Collection - On the contrary, some teddy bear artists make teddy bears that are not mass produced and and these Teddies are not intended for minors. In fact, most of them have a warning label as such. These bears are the target of a market for adult collectors. They are individually created by many artists worldwide. Many of these artists design their own teddy bears and they combine the pieces by hand or sewing machine at home. These bears are not heavily marketed. They are available on the artist's home, specialty shops, websites, exhibitions of books, and teddy bears and craft shows around the world.
Both types are produced commercially but differ in their target market. Some artists specialize in the manufacture of teddy bears made from recycled materials. Materials such as old blankets, dresses, coats and bags, and garments are quickly transformed into stunning teddy bear. These artists want their teddy bears to be sold in the thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, hardware stores, and collections.
