When was the Teddy Bear Invented?

It is reported that the cartoon depicting the President refusing to shoot the bear was also a political reference to his handling of a boundary dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana.

A Candy Shop Owner

Morris Michtom and his wife Rosa were the owners of a candy shop in Brooklyn, New York. Rosa made stuffed animals and sold them in the shop. When the event with President Roosevelt happened they had an idea to make a small stuffed bear and put it in their shop window for sale. It was made of velvet and had shoe-button eyes. The bear sold within 1 day.

Teddy's Bear

Rosa asked the president's permission to use his name for the bear which he gave his blessing for. They named the bear Teddy's Bear. The Michtoms continued to sell as many bears as Rosa could make. Riding the wave of success, the Michtoms went on to establish a toy manufacturing business named 'The Ideal Novelty and Toy Company' in 1907.

In 1904 President Roosevelt went on to use the Michtom teddy bear as a symbol of his re-election campaign.

Margarete Steiff

Around the same time that Teddy's Bear originated, something else very similar was being developed by a German company. Margarete Steiff was a German seamstress who founded a company in 1880. She originally designed pin cushions to sell to her customers and she realised that the young children were playing with them as toys. From there, she designed other animal themed stuffed toys such as dogs and cats.

Toys Inspired by the Zoo

In 1987, Margarete's nephew joined the company and he started designing stuffed animals that were based on drawings that he made at the zoo. His designs gave the business a huge boost.

A Large Order of Stuffed Bears

When the American craze for Teddy's Bear happened, Steiffe released their own version made out of mohair with jointed limbs. An American buyer placed a huge order for the bears which became popular and started an international craze. In 1906 the Steiff bears were officially named Teddy Bears.

World Renowned Steiff Bears

Steiff continues to make teddy bears and other stuffed toys today . The name Steiff is synonymous with quality and some of their stuffed toys are collectors items, particularly their earlier bears.

Jointed Bears

The first Steiff bears were jointed which means that their arms, legs and sometimes the head are moveable. The Theodore Bear and Friends characters are also jointed but they are made using an easier system than the original bears. We have designed a system which uses buttons that are hidden inside the stuffed animals arms and legs.

What Next?

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If you would like to look at our selection of teddy bear patterns, click here.