Teddy Bear Tidbit Tuesday

Welcome to Teddy Bear Tidbit Tuesday, wherein I share with you a tidbit from teddy bear lore. Many of you may be wondering about teddy’s origins. Haven’t we always had teddy bears with us?

In 1902, the first teddy bears were created in both Germany and the United States. According to tradition, the teddy bear got its start in America when the political cartoon below was published, telling the story of President Theodore Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a tied bear cub.

Drawing the Line in Mississippi by Clifford Berryman

And in Germany, Richard Steiff, nephew of the founder of the toy firm Steiff, is credited with creating the first teddy bear. He studied bears in the zoo and based his creation on their characteristics. See the picture below of an early Steiff bear. 

Early Steiff teddy bear, circa 1904

Because this article tells the story much more eloquently than I can, and because this is tidbit Tuesday, I will point you to the Teddy Bear and Friends magazine archive:

http://www.teddybearandfriends.com/archive/articles/history.html

In the more than 100 years since the first teddy bears were created, they have become our companions, our confidants, our comforts. Have you hugged your teddy today?