| Even if you did not own "Teddy" as a kid, you most | | | | stuffed animal, a bear, in honor of the president's |
| certainly had at least one stuffed animal that you | | | | actions. They named the bear "Teddy's bear," |
| carried around or described your day to when you | | | | denoting the close relationship between President |
| got back home. Today, if you walk across a window | | | | Roosevelt and the saved animal. Their sweet, |
| shopping area and your eye catches "Teddy" looking | | | | innocent small stuffed bear became an instant hit and |
| at you from behind the glass, you will probably feel | | | | the Michtoms founded the first teddy bear |
| the inclination to get inside the store and touch its | | | | manufacturing company in the United States, named |
| fur. Perhaps you will even buy the staffed animal, | | | | Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. |
| even if you have no kid to give it to, since some | | | | At the same time, literally, a former art student, |
| teddy bears have become expensive collector's | | | | Richard Steiff, made a prototype of a toy bear that |
| items. | | | | was based on Richard's designs. When a few months |
| The teddy bear made its entrance in late 1902, | | | | later he introduced his first bear, an American toy |
| appearing in the same year in two different countries: | | | | buyer, who was aware of the interest in teddy bears |
| Germany and the United States. According to the | | | | in U.S., ordered 3,000 and brought Steiff in the States |
| story, while President Theodore Roosevelt was at | | | | offering him the opportunity of a life time. |
| Mississippi to help settle a boarder dispute between | | | | After years of mass-production, the teddy bear |
| that state and Louisiana, his hosts wanting to please | | | | comeback was initiated by a British actor, Peter Bull, |
| this avid hunter took him bear hunting. But since the | | | | who in 1969 publicly declared his love for teddy bears |
| hunting was poor, when they finally managed to | | | | and his belief in this stuffed animal's importance in the |
| capture a bear, the President's hosts invited him to | | | | emotional life of adults. Since then, collectors have |
| shoot the poor animal. Roosevelt's refusal to shoot | | | | been purchasing the hand-made teddy bears and in |
| the unprotected animal, was illustrated by Clifford | | | | 1999, in just the United States, collectors purchased |
| Berrymnan's in one of his cartoons, titled "Drawing | | | | $411 million worth of teddy bears. In addition, the |
| the Line in Mississippi." After it's publication in the | | | | ongoing interest in this lovely stuffed animal by kids |
| Washington Post on November 16, 1902, a number | | | | and adults, will keep its legend alive for years to |
| of people were inspired by the image and Morris and | | | | come. |
| Rose Michtom from Brooklyn, NY, decided to make a | | | | |