What is a teddy bear?
A teddy bear is a stuffed soft toy in the shape of a bear. It doesn’t have a gender. They were created in the 1900s and presented to society in 1902. This was simultaneously created by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff at his aunt Margarete Steiff’s company in Germany. Teddy bear was named after the youngest President of America, Theodore Roosevelt, often called Teddy.
The history of teddy bears
The figure of the teddy bear was influenced by a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902. It was scene of a bear hunting trip in Mississippi. A set of the attendants of Theodore Roosevelt, held an American black bear and were trying to tie it to a willow tree. Then they suggested to Roosevelt that he kill the bear, but he refused as he felt it was unsportsmanlike. Morris Michtom was influenced by the cartoon and invented the teddy bear.
He made a soft toy in the shape of the American bear in the cartoon and sold it in his candy toy shop after naming it as ‘Teddy Bear’. This is the beginning of the character, teddy bear. Later, the grandson of Theodore Roosevelt donated this oldest teddy bear to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.
But the oldest teddy bear is believed to be 3,000-year-old. It was mummified in a miniature coffin in a tomb in ancient Egypt.
According to archaeologists, it was not only a cuddly toy, but also an object of worship.
Manufacturing teddy bears
Teddy Bears are produced on a large scale as a toy for children. They are fixed either as safety arms, legs and joints or sewn. Their eyes are securely fastened to make sure that it will not be a choking hazard for small children. These plush bears have to meet safety standards before they are marketed in the USA or Europe.
Teddy bears in the past looked like real bears. They had a long snout and glowing bead-like eyes. But modern ones are cuter and more attractive to children. So, they are made with baby-like features. Some teddy bears represent different species of bears, such as brown-bears, pandas, and koalas. They are covered with furry fabric.
Famous teddy bear manufacturers in the world are mostly located in China. Dongguang Yuankang Plush Toys Co Ltd,Yangzhou Round Toy Co Ltd, Xiamen Do It Import and Export Co Ltd are among them. Vermont Teddy Mears Company is in the US while Behive Toys are in the UK and Steiff Bears is in Germany.
Famous Teddy Bear Characters
There are many members in the teddy bear family. Some are fictious characters.
Before movies and animation became popular, there were bear characters in the books. Baloo was a character in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
Paddington bear, who is an anthropomorphised bear resembles a teddy bear. It appears in 11 books by Michael Bond. There are the Three Bears in Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Winnie - the -Pooh and Rupert Bear are the other two famous bear characters in books.
There are animated bears popular among children too. Barney Bear from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s, several bear characters in Walt Disney movies, Blinky Bill – a Teddy like character in an Australian series, Brother Bear, Care Bear and the Gummy Bear are a few of the bears from animated movies.
Baby Bear and Basil the Bear are puppet bears. Fozzie Bear is from the famous Muppet Show. Bear characters are famous in advertising around the world. Smokey Bear promotes the US Forest Services.
Now, Teddy Bears are gifted to express love on Valentine’s Day and birthdays. It’s also a gift to celebrate graduation. Scary Teddies are made during Halloween.
Teddy bears play many roles other than being a soft toy for children.
Teddy Bear facts
According to history, the oldest Teddy Bear went on sale after Morris Michtom received permission to use the nick name ‘Teddy’ from President Roosevelt. It was on Valentines’ day in 1903. But, Michtom hasn’t file a patent or copyright for this handmade bear.
The most expensive Teddy Bear in the world was produced by the famous expensive clothing brands of Louis Vuitton and Steiff. It was sold in an auction in 2000 for US $ 2.1 million. A Korean businesswoman Jessie Kim bought it and now it is displayed in the Teddy Bear Museum in Jeju, Korea.
The largest Teddy Bear in the world is in Estado, Mexico. This is 19.41 meters long (height of the bear) and made of the common material used to make commercial Teddy Bears. This holds the Guinness Record as the world’s largest Teddy Bear. This giant was created to attract tourists to the city.
Teddy Bear Day is celebrated annually on September 9. On that day, everyone brings out their teddy bears to thank them for the comfort and friendship and the memorable moments they have shared.
There are several Teddy Bear museums in the world.
In 1984, Judy Sparrow opened the world’s first teddy bear museum in Hampshire, England. The most famous ‘English Teddy Bear Museum’was established in 1990. It has a collection of antique and vintage bears dating from as early as 1906 to individually crafted designer bears by internationally renowned artists of the late 20th century.
Pahanma Liyanage
Grade 5 D
Lyceum International School
Nugegoda