| Did you know, the most lovable and recognized | | | | asked permission from President Theodore |
| childhood icon of the 20th century -- the teddy | | | | Roosevelt to call these toy bears 'Teddy's bears'. |
| bear -- has a deep connection with none other | | | | Permission was granted, and the rest, as they |
| than Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt, 26th President | | | | say, is history. His teddy bear toys flew off the |
| of the United States? Want to find out more? | | | | shelves, prompting Michtom to establish the Ideal |
| In November 1902, Theodore (or 'Teddy' as he | | | | Novelty and Toy Co., which still exists today. |
| was affectionately called by his intimate circle) | | | | Little they Michtom realize that he was creating |
| Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, | | | | history, and introducing to the world an icon that |
| was staying in Mississippi. Roosevelt was there to | | | | would go on to mesmerize generations of young |
| help settle a border dispute between Mississippi | | | | and old alike as the all-time favourite childhood |
| and Louisiana. In the spare time that he had in | | | | soft toy. |
| between attending important political matters, | | | | It was not just America that fell instantly in love |
| Roosevelt was invited by Mississippi Governor | | | | with this adorable bear. Across the continent, in |
| Andrew H. Longino to participate in a bear hunt in | | | | Germany, a physically challenged German |
| Mississippi, apparently one of the favourite | | | | seamstress, Margarette Steiff created a plush toy |
| sporting activities of the region. | | | | teddy bear for her catalogue for the Steiff |
| Several other hunters were competing in this bear | | | | company. They exhibited the toy at the Leipzig |
| hunt and many were already proudly displaying | | | | Toy Fair in March 1903 and exported 3000 to the |
| their recent kills. However, much to the | | | | United States, little knowing that the teddy had |
| disappointment of his hosts, the hunt did not yield | | | | already captured the imagination of that country. |
| a kill. Eager to remedy the situation and wanting | | | | From then on, there was no looking back. Teddy |
| to avoid the embarrassment of having their | | | | bears had come into our lives and were here to |
| distinguished guest return empty-handed, his hosts | | | | stay... |
| came up with a 'plan'. | | | | From its somewhat dubious origins, the teddy |
| The hunting guide and the hunting dogs managed | | | | bear has come to represent all that is good and |
| to run to earth an old and wounded adult | | | | pure and innocent in the world. A mandatory prop |
| American Black bear who in any case offered | | | | in every nursery and a cute and lovable gift for |
| little resistance to his tame capture. The captured | | | | one's sweetheart, the teddy bear continues to |
| bear was then tethered to a post and the | | | | rule hearts and minds. |
| President was invited to take a shot at it and kill | | | | Recognizing a huge potential market for these |
| it. Needless to add, President Roosevelt was | | | | teddy bear toys, other manufacturers joined in |
| horrified and flatly refused to play along, deeming | | | | the bear mania by 1906, along with original players |
| it unsportsmanlike. Instead, he ordered the old and | | | | Michtom and Steiff. The craze for teddy bears |
| ailing bear to be put out of its misery. But the | | | | had reached a crescendo with women carrying |
| matter was not destined to rest there... | | | | them wherever they went and children being |
| The story spread and caught the imagination of a | | | | inseparable from their teddies. President Roosevelt |
| political cartoonist, Clifford Berryman, who drew a | | | | used a teddy bear as his mascot in his bid for |
| faithful representation of the scene as it might | | | | re-election. |
| have been. The cartoon, 'Spare the Bear' | | | | American educator Seymour Eaton came up with |
| appeared on 16 November 1902 in the | | | | the children's book series 'The Roosevelt Bears', |
| Washington Post, showing the 26th US President | | | | which became a huge success. |
| refusing to shoot the tame target. That set the | | | | The original teddy bear, made in 1903, was |
| ball rolling and soon cartoons of helpless bear cubs | | | | handed over to the Smithsonian by President |
| began to appear in other newspapers as well. | | | | Theodore Roosevelt's grandson, Kermit. Teddy |
| Sniffing a lucrative opportunity in the sudden bear | | | | bear enthusiasts can see this most famous bears |
| mania, an astute Brooklyn shopkeeper, Morris | | | | of all time in the National Museum of American |
| Michtom, decided to display two stuffed toy | | | | History. |
| bears made by his wife in his shop window. He | | | | |