A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, named after President Theodore Roosevelt, became a popular children's toy and has been celebrated in story, song, and film.[1]
American Teddy Bear Encyclopedia free 21
Since the creation of the first teddy bears which sought to imitate the form of real bear cubs, "teddies" have greatly varied in form, style, color, and material. They have become collector's items, with older and rarer teddies appearing at public auctions.[2] Teddy bears are among the most popular gifts for children and are often given to adults to signify affection, congratulations, or sympathy.
The name teddy bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, who was often referred to as "Teddy" (though he loathed being referred to as such).[3] The name originated from an incident on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902, to which Roosevelt was invited by Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino. There were several other hunters competing, and most of them had already killed an animal. A suite of Roosevelt's attendants, led by Holt Collier,[4] cornered, clubbed, and tied an American black bear to a willow tree after a long exhausting chase with hounds. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested that he shoot it. He refused to shoot the bear himself, deeming this unsportsmanlike, but instructed that the bear be killed to put it out of its misery,[5][6] and it became the topic of a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902.[7][8][9] While the initial cartoon of an adult black bear lassoed by a handler and a disgusted Roosevelt had symbolic overtones, later issues of that and other Berryman cartoons made the bear smaller and cuter.[10]
Morris Michtom saw the Berryman drawing of Roosevelt and was inspired to create a teddy bear. He created a tiny soft bear cub and put it in his candy shop window at 404 Tompkins Avenue in Brooklyn with a sign "Teddy's bear." The toys were an immediate success and Michtom founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co.[6]
Early teddy bears were made to look like real bears, with extended snouts and beady eyes. Modern teddy bears tend to have larger eyes and foreheads and smaller noses, babylike features intended to enhance the toy's "cuteness". Some teddy bears are also designed to represent different species, such as polar bears and brown bears, as well as pandas and koalas.
While early teddy bears were covered in tawny mohair fur, modern teddy bears are manufactured in a wide variety of commercially available fabrics, most commonly synthetic fur, but also velour, denim, cotton, satin, and canvas.
Commercially made, mass-produced teddy bears are predominantly made as toys for children. These bears either have safety joints for attaching arms, legs, and heads, or else the joints are sewn and not articulated. They must have securely fastened eyes that do not pose a choking hazard for small children. These "plush" bears must meet a rigid standard of construction in order to be marketed to children in the United States and in the European Union.
There are also companies, like Steiff, that sell handmade collectible bears that can be purchased in stores or over the Internet.The majority of teddy bears are manufactured in countries with low production costs, such as China and Indonesia. A few small, single-person producers in the United States make unique, non-mass-produced teddy bears. In the United Kingdom one small, traditional teddy bear company remains, Merrythought, which was established in 1930.[15] Mohair, the fur shorn or combed from a breed of long haired goats, is woven into cloth, dyed and trimmed.
Teddy bears are a favourite form of soft toy for amateur toy makers, with many patterns commercially produced or available online. Many "teddies" are home-made as gifts or for charity, while "teddy bear artists" often create "teddies" for retail, decorating them individually with commercial and recycled ornaments such as sequins, beads and ribbons. Sewn teddy bears are made from a wide range of materials including felt, cotton and velour. While many are stitched, others are made from yarn, either knitted or crocheted.
The world's first teddy bear museum was set up in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, in 1984. In 1990, a similar foundation was set up in Naples, Florida, United States. These were closed in 2006 and 2005 respectively, and the bears were sold in auctions, but there are many teddy bear museums around the world today.
Because police, fire and medical officials found that giving a teddy bear to a child during a crisis stabilized and calmed them, NAPLC created the Teddy Bear Cops program to distribute teddy bears to police, fire, and medical responders throughout the United States.[17]
The largest teddy bear measures 19.41 m (63 ft 8 in) in length and was constructed by Municipio de Xonacatlán, Ideas por México and Agrupación de Productores de Peluche (all Mexico), in Estado de México, on 28 April 2019.The bear was displayed at the local stadium in the city of Xonacatlán, and was made with the same materials as a commercially available teddy bear, including details such as a tiara, dress, eyes, and nose.[20]
In 1996, the $17 million company opened its first outlet on Madison Avenue. A second store followed in Freeport, Maine. Neither of these stores proved very successful, however, and after losses of $2 million in 1997, both stores closed in 1998. The company also put more of its marketing dollars into its catalog operations, increasing circulation and expanding its offerings beyond teddy bears to everything from snowglobes to t-shirts and knapsacks.
A teddy bear is a type of toy that looks like a bear. The teddy bear is normally a cub or baby bear.[1] In Russia, bears were used as children's toys for many years before they became popular in the United States.[1] The teddy bear in Russia has been the subject of folklore or stories for many years.[1] Teddy bears are often toys for children. They are also used to comfort people and also to teach.
A teddy bear is a popular and well-known toy. It may often have human-like features. They are usually small and soft. Teddy Bears are found all over the world. Early 20th century teddy bears were made from mohair, the hair of goats. Now they are usually made from synthetic fabrics.
There are many stories about how the Teddy Bear got its name. It may be a myth but the teddy bear is said to be named after Theodore Roosevelt, a hunter who disliked being called "Teddy". Roosevelt was the 26th and youngest President of the United States. He was president from 1901 to 1909.[2] Friends of the president gave him the nickname "Teddy".
The teddy bear has been a mascot and a companion for many adults.[1] In 1972 Olympic Long Jump Gold Medal winner Randy Williams was pictured on Life magazine with a teddy bear at the Munich games.[1] The bear was given to him by an ex-girlfriend.[1]
While playing baseball with the San Francisco Giants, Ron Bryant was nicknamed "Bear" for always taking his teddy bear everywhere with him.[1] After playing for the Giants, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. While he was playing with the Cubs, Bryant bought a bear from a girl on the street.[1] He took the bear to the game and they won that day. After that, he brought the bear with him to all the games. The teddy bear was even fitted with a baseball uniform with Bryant's number.[1]
Some adults collect "Cherished Teddies". They are figurines of teddy bears. They are considered knick knacks. Only a limited number from each mold is produced. Some are more common than others. The fewer made of a particular one, the more valuable.
The teddy bear is used in children's classrooms.[4] According to "The Much Maligned Teddy Bear", teddy bears comfort and support children.[4] The teddy bear is also used to teach children about different places. In story, the bear does traveling and sends postcards to the readers, which helps children learn.[4] A child can learn a lot through teddy bears. There are books, logos that teach and comfort children.[4] The teddy bear books help children learn to read and are also fond memories for parents and grandparents.[4]
Law enforcement in America gives children in traumatic experiences teddy bears for comfort. Several agencies provide the bears to children going through crisis. The bears are donated by citizens to help children deal with transitioning from their homes to foster care or when a parent is arrested for breaking the law and is taken to jail. Firemen also hand out bears to children victims of fire. 2ff7e9595c
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