Interesting History of Teddy Bears

Have you ever wondered about the origins of teddy bears and the story behind their name?

The story begins with President Theodore Roosevelt. Believe it or not, the teddy bear was created in his honor!

It all began during a hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902 when President Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear.

Interesting, right?

During the trip, the Governor of Mississippi, Andrew H. Longino, brought along some hunters. Roosevelt’s guides, led by Holt Collier, captured an American black bear and tied it to a willow tree. They called Roosevelt over and suggested that he shoot it.

But as an outdoor enthusiast and hunter, Roosevelt felt it was wrong to kill a defenseless animal that way, so he refused. Instead, he asked that the bear be put down to end its suffering.

This incident became very popular among the public and was even featured in a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902.

PRESIDENT CALLED AFTER THE BEAST HAD BEEN LASSOED, BUT HE REFUSED TO MAKE AN UNSPORTSMANLIKE SHOT

This was the headline of the Washington Post.

Some sources say the cartoon “Drawing the Line in Mississippi” referred to Roosevelt’s choice regarding the bear and his management of a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana.

Others suggest the cartoon also showed the president’s progressive ideas about treating people of different races fairly.

Morris Michtom, a businessman from Russia, saw the cartoon and was inspired by it. So, along with his wife Rose, who loved making stuffed animals, created a bear to honor the president.

After getting permission from Roosevelt to use his name, the Michtoms created a small, soft bear cub and displayed it in the window of his candy shop at 404 Tompkins Avenue in Brooklyn, calling it “Teddy’s bear.” 

Benjamin Michtom, Morris’ son, said that even though Roosevelt was okay with lending his name, he didn’t think it would be a big deal in the toy market.

However, their teddy bear attracted many customers and became popular, which made Michtoms successful. Because of this, they started the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. in 1903 and quickly grew into a multimillion-dollar business.

At the same time, a German company founded by Margarete Steiff was working on their own stuffed bear.

Her nephew, Richard, designed the bear in 1902 based on real bear sketches he had seen at the zoo. This bear was first launched at the Leipzig Toy Fair in March 1903.

During the fair, a buyer named Hermann Berg from George Borgfeldt & Company in New York noticed the bear and ordered 3,000 to be sent to the U.S.

By 1906, these soft bears became known as teddy bears and quickly became popular. Soon after, more companies started making their own versions of teddy bears. 

In 1963, Benjamin Michtom, who was the president of the Ideal Toy Company, thought it would be nice to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Teddy Bear.

He reached out to Mrs. Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, and offered her one of the original Teddy Bears if she would agree to take a picture with it.

Mrs. Longworth answered, “I don’t want it.”

However, the pitchman for the Ideal Toy Company asked, “For goodness sakes, why not?”

But Mrs. Longworth replied, “What does a 79-year-old doll want with a 60-year-old bear?” 

Benjamin didn’t give up and reached out to Mr. Kermit Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s grandson. He asked Kermit’s kids to take some pictures with a bear. 

Benjamin Mitchom agreed to give the bear to Kermit, promising it would eventually go to the Smithsonian Institution. 

After the photo shoot, Kermit Roosevelt’s children, Mark and Anne Roosevelt, decided they couldn’t let go of the bear and hid it from their parents. 

Mrs. Roosevelt sent a letter to Mr. Mitchom saying, “I was about to get in touch with the Smithsonian about presenting them with the original bear when the children decided they didn’t want to part with it yet.”

In the end, the kids changed their minds, and the bear was officially given to the Smithsonian in January 1964.

Now, about the name: it comes from President Roosevelt himself, who was often called “Teddy”—a nickname he didn’t really like.