1902:
Clifford Berryman’s cartoon of Teddy Roosevelt refusing to shoot cute bear cub appears in Washington Post. Ideal Toy & Novelty Co., New York, markets first stuffed bears, labeled Teddy’s Bear.
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1903:
In Germany, Steiff Co. produces its first stuffed bear.
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1907:
Steiff Co. sells nearly one million teddy bear immigrants in the U.S.
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1908:
Sears & Roebuck makes teddy bear affordable. Catalog lists family of three stuffed bears for only 25 cents.
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1912:
Steiff Co. markets black teddy bear to commemorate the Titanic disaster. This is the first “comfort” bear.
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1926:
A.A. Milne begins to publish the Winnie-the-Pooh books about his son’s adventures with his bear.
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1930:
Musical and mechanical bears become popular.
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1969:
British actor Peter Bull writes The Teddy Bear Book about his lifelong affection for teddy bears.
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1973:
Good Bears
of the World is founded to distribute teddies to children and the elderly in hospitals
and institutions.
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1994:
Steiff’s “Teddy Girl” bear is auctioned at Christie’s for a record-setting $176,000.
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2000:
A Steiff bear dressed by Louis Vuitton sells at auction for $185,000.
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2001:
Tweed Roosevelt, great-grandson of Teddy Roosevelt, talks up the bear market and endorses new limited-edition bear commemorating his famous ancestor’s term as New York police commissioner.
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2001:
NYC Firefighters Hockey Team launches Teddy Bears That Care program. Since March, 2001, 11,743 bears have been distributed, 2,750 of them finding homes with children affected by the tragedy of September 11th.
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Yes, the teddy bear is every child’s trusty confidante and loyal friend, but he is also one of today’s hottest collectibles. On any given weekend, there’s a teddy bear show somewhere in the country, with adult bear lovers pondering thousands of teddies in all sizes—new or antique, dressed or undressed, mass-manufactured or handmade. There are even teddy bear museums and magazines, and not too long ago Christie’s auctioned off a bear at $185,000.
There is definitely a bull market in
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These festive teddy bears, decked out in their holiday best, keep company with several Santas in this Indiana collector’s home.
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bears, and considering that 2002 marks the teddy’s 100th birthday, it isn’t likely to go anywhere but straight up. In fact, during the last few years, teddy bears have edged out dolls for third place among collectibles, behind coins and stamps. But it would be wrong to attribute strictly mercenary notions to arctophilists, as teddy bear collectors are called. Most are interested in the teddy bear as an art form, feel a deep emotional connection to their bears and couldn’t care less what their collections are worth.
“Every collector will tell you that teddies all have different expressions, just like people,” says Mindy Kinsey, editor of Teddy Bear & Friends magazine. “But unlike people, every one of them leaves you with warm feelings.”
Marilyn Wisch, a Long Island collector, agrees. “My bears live all over my house,” she confides. “I collect mostly handmade artists’ bears, and they are so special I want to be able to enjoy them. I don’t want them stashed in some closet.”
A Plush History
The teddy bear is named after our 26th president, Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt.
In 1902, the Washington Post published a Clifford Berryman cartoon showing the president refusing to shoot an adorable bear cub, and a legend was born. In New York, Morris Michton had his wife, Rose, stitch up some bears that he labeled “Teddy’s Bear” and offered them for sale. They were a huge success and launched the Ideal Novelty & Toy Co. At about the same time, the German Steiff Company introduced a stuffed bear, and by 1908, was selling almost one million toy-bear immigrants.
While the New York firm that invented the teddybear is long defunct, the Steiff Company is going strong. Its early bears fetch top bids at auctions, and even its newer versions are coveted. A good example is a foot-tall police commissioner teddy bear produced last year to honor Teddy Roosevelt, who served as New York City’s first police commissioner. Collectors snapped them up.
Through the past 100 years, the teddy has played many roles besides being every child’s pal. Early on, women carried teddies as mascots, and throughout the years there have been bears who have whistled, played music, laughed, and whose eyes have lit up. When the Titanic went down, the Steiff Company came out with a limited-edition black bear, and thus a new role was carved out for the teddy: it became a symbol of solace. Good Bears of the World, a non-profit organization, donates teddy bears to children and elderly patients in hospitals and institutions.
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In August of this year—just in time for a birthday celebration—the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative Teddy Bear Stamp, designed by artist Margaret Bauer.
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At the 2002 Winter Olympics, teddies were also presented as tributes to ice skaters right along with bouquets of flowers; bears, custom-outfitted to suit holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and other celebratory occasions, have become enormously popular. Also increasing the bear’s appeal is a new generation of “bear artists,” who have taken the tired old teddy to a new level. Art bears are almost always hand-sewn, one-of-a-kind or limited-edition items, and they are as creative as the artists themselves. There are angel and clown bears. Droopy-limbed bears. Biblical bears. Shy bears. Pooh bears. Inquisitive bears...
And so it goes. A furry creature has become a universal symbol of love, comfort, joy and creativity. Says Mindy Kinsey: “A teddy bear can share good times and bad.
A teddy bear is a great listener. A teddy bear is also huggable, clean around the house and cheap to feed. Is it any wonder we are all crazy over them?”
Photos: Dawn Boomsma; Brad Simmons
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