History of the Original Teddy Essay Example

and stuffed animals allow them to create hypothetical problems and find solutions. Artistic abilities can be enhanced through toys like Play-Doh paints markers crayons. Board games and computer games foster strategic planning and predicting opponents' moves.

As children approach the transition from childhood to adulthood,model kits and hobby kits become popular choices. Although these items are often seen as display pieces rather than traditional toys once completed they still present a fun challenge that teaches discipline and patience – two essential concepts for adulthood.The hobbies developed during this stage may persist into adulthood,reinforcing the lessons learned.

One particular toy that spans across all age groups is the teddy bear - a stuffed representation of a real animal found in nature.It promotes an infant's sense of touch while aiding in the cognitive development of older children.Despite the commonly accepted age range of five to eleven years old for owning a teddy bear, there are individuals who collect them well into adulthood. This is because of the strong emotional attachment between owner and teddy bear. A stuffed animal fulfills fundamental needs, creating a deep bond and providing a tangible object to touch that distracts from reality. It serves as an attentive confidante, keeping secrets safe. The term "teddy bear" now includes various types of stuffed animals like dogs, rabbits, and marine animals. However, the original teddy bear was indeed a stuffed bear, hence its name. The association between "teddy" and this toy originated from Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States who battled asthma throughout his childhood but led an active lifestyle despite his small size and poor health.Inside his three-story birthhouse, Theodore Sr. constructed a

gym equipped with weights and exercise equipment to assist his son in building strength. Through daily workouts, Teddy conquered his asthma and developed remarkable physical prowess, along with an unwavering determination to overcome any obstacle in his path. Eager for the challenges of the real world, eighteen-year-old Theodore entered Harvard University in 1876 and graduated with top honors four years later. His inquisitive nature often irked his professors, prompting one to interrupt a lecture with a stern remark: "Now look here, Roosevelt, let me speak.I am in charge of this course!" On his twenty-second birthday in 1880, Teddy married Alice Hathaway Lee, his college sweetheart. However, tragedy struck on February 14th, 1884 - just two days after their daughter's birth - when Alice Roosevelt passed away due to complications from childbirth. On that sorrowful day itself, Theodore's mother also succumbed to typhoid fever. Overwhelmed by grief, he sought solace on two ranches along the Missouri River in the Dakotas and found comfort through hunting. From then on, nature became his sanctuary as Teddy Roosevelt traversed through life and gained fame under the nicknames "Teddy" and "T.R." He divided the American populace; some revered him while others harbored disdain towards him – yet he always ignited fervent conversations. With his love for the outdoors combined with firm policies, Roosevelt possessed a commanding presence that left an indelible impact.
As a politician, he once quoted the West African proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far," emphasizing the importance of a strong military for effective leadership. He was highly admired by men and earned the nickname "Man's Man." On December 2, 1886, Teddy married

his childhood friend Edith Kermit Carow and they had five children together over ten years. Teddy's daughter from his first marriage, Alice, was also raised by Edith. The children were mischievous and became known as the "White House Gang." They were allowed to have pets like ponies and snakes in the White House. Teddy even requested that the War Department reject their mock army's attacks on their government home. While Teddy showed love and care towards his children, he also had a strict disciplinary approach. His dual personality as both caring parent and strict disciplinarian became apparent when his children discovered random spitballs on a portrait of Andrew Jackson as punishment. Despite this side of him, Roosevelt was adored by wives and mothers across America due to his reputation as a family man. Not only did he gain popularity within households but also in politics; these two aspects were interconnected. Journalists admired Roosevelt's contributions to the country and provided positive publicity which led public opinion to favor himBefore becoming president, Roosevelt led the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment composed mostly of former college athletes and Western cowboys. On February 15, 1898, during the Spanish American War, the U.S. battleship Maine exploded in Havana harbor. Two months later, on April 25th, the United States declared war on Spain and Teddy, who was then Secretary of the Navy, recruited his men. On July 1st, already prepared for battle, the troops destroyed the Spanish blockhouse on San Juan Hill in Santiago, Cuba. Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders gained immediate national fame.

Despite his accomplishments, Roosevelt's strong individuality was seen as too much by his fellow Republicans. They

feared his passionate push for reform and saw his legislation as dangerously progressive and potentially socialist. In 1901, Roosevelt's desire for acceptance led him to succeed as Vice-President under William Mckinley. Just six months later McKinley was assassinated. At only 43 years old,Teddy became the youngest President thus far and was re-elected for a full term in 1905.

During his presidency,Congress passed laws to regulate "big business" or monopolies.This earned Roosevelt the nickname "trustbuster." While these regulations did destroy some monopolistic corporations,T.R clarified that he aimed to maintain order among the nation's economic forces rather than completely dismantle trust companiesOther regulations passed by Congress aimed to protect the public from harmful food and drugs, conserve national forests and reservations, eliminate racial segregation disparities in a progressive social program supported by Roosevelt. This caused friction between Caucasians and African Americans after slavery had been abolished, leading to national disharmony. T.R. also fought against dishonesty and unethical behavior among government officials who granted government jobs to political friends. He considered the Panama Canal his proudest accomplishment and strengthened the U.S. Navy while signing a treaty with the new Republic of Panama for its construction, which supported the Monroe Doctrine.Teddy Roosevelt mediated the denouement of the Russo-Japanese War and became the first American Nobel Peace Prize winner.He is seen as a heroic icon of the twentieth century politically, earning America's respect through his actions and successful results while winning hearts with his embrace of carpe diem.In his leisure time, he enjoyed horseback riding,hiking,boxing , swimming,and hunting.During winter hikes,Teddy and his friends decided to have fun by swimming across Potamic River,navigating through floating chunks of ice.His political genius combined with

passionate love for life contributed to his soaring popularityHis fame appeared to emanate from every pore and had a profound impact on even the most insignificant of associations. However, in 1902, his popularity peaked. It was also during this year that Roosevelt faced controversy as he struggled between aligning with Southern and National Republicans over a progressive social program. In order to address this conflict, Teddy extended an invitation to Booker T. Washington for a dinner at the White House, joined by him and the Roosevelts. Booker, who had previously been enslaved but later became a prominent black educator in the late 19th century, discussed with Roosevelt the possibility of appointing black individuals to federal positions in the South. This decision displeased the National Republicans who threatened to remove T.R. as their candidate in the 1904 election. Nevertheless, Teddy sought ways to appease them and took on the role of a fair mediator when a boundary dispute arose between Louisiana and Mississippi during late fall. The negotiations proved confusing and chaotic, causing more problems than they solved. To clear his mind amidst these challenges, T.R decided to take a break and joined his friends on a four-day bear hunt in Southern Mississippi where he demonstrated expertise in bears while showing deep respect for all animals.
Hunting was his specialty, and he believed that he could connect with his Southern supporters in a more relaxed environment. Although the details of the story have some minor differences, the overall outcome remains the same.

On November 14, 1902, which was the second day of the trip, they had not yet spotted any bears. However, Teddy's friends found a 235-pound bear

cub and tied it to a tree. Some sources claim that it was an old and sick Louisiana blackbear that had been chased down by dogs. Regardless, it was captured as a "trophy" for Roosevelt.

Teddy's response to this unusual situation truly reflected his ethical and kind-hearted nature. Despite his friends' good intentions, he refused to shoot the defenseless animal due to his respect for the sport of hunting. According to later quotes, such actions would be considered beneath Roosevelt's dignity as a hunter and man. He stated, "If I shot that little fellow, I couldn't be able to look my boys in the face again." Instead, Roosevelt instructed someone else to end the bear's misery, suggesting that the bear was dying of age and sickness.

Despite uncertain facts, T.R. showed true sportsmanship by refusing to kill a bound, defenseless animal during an unsuccessful hunting trip. The news of Teddy's actions spread quickly, and on November 16th political cartoonist Clifford Berryman published an article in The Washington Post comparing it to T.R.'s boundary dispute.
There is a possibility that Berryman also went on the trip, but it is generally believed that he had no role in it. In his cartoon shown in illustration 3, there is a lassoed and trembling cub with Roosevelt's back turned away from it, implying its demise. The caption, "Drawing the Line in Mississippi," is commonly thought to refer to the boundary dispute. However, Gregory Wilson of Harvard University's Theodore Roosevelt archive believes it actually refers to T.R.'s support of black civil rights. Despite this interpretation, Americans chose to overlook the caption and instead fell in love with the adorable cub, which became closely

associated with Teddy Roosevelt. Berryman received many requests to continue drawing the bear and made it his personal trademark by featuring the small cub in every cartoon involving President Roosevelt. This little cub came to be known as "Teddy's bear" among the public. One witness to this emotional phenomenon was Morris Michtom, an immigrant from Russia who owned a small candy store with his wife Rose in Brooklyn, New York. Morris saw potential for a stuffed toy based on the cartoon cub and shared his idea along with a self-drawn pattern with his wife. She quickly created a prototype with movable parts. Morris reached out to Teddy seeking permission to associate his name with the bear since the public had already done so. Although Roosevelt did not fully grasp his connection to the bear's successful sales, he gave consent nonetheless.The Michtoms proudly exhibited the toy bear in their store window, accompanied by a handwritten sign that read "Teddy's Bear". This beloved bear quickly gained popularity and caught the attention of Butler Bros, a prominent toy wholesaler who took over its distribution. Soon enough, replicas of the bear could be found in households all across the nation. The Michtoms' success led to the establishment of the Ideal Novelty Toy Company, which has since evolved into the renowned Ideal Toy Company and is now one of the largest toy companies in the country.

Around this same time period when Roosevelt went on his hunting trip and subsequent events unfolded, Margarete Steiff, a German dressmaker affected by polio, independently created her own version of a jointed stuffed bear. Margarete was born on July 24, 1847 in Geingen, a small

town situated along the Brenz river in southern Germany. Despite being struck with this debilitating disease at only two years old, Margarete attended school like any other German child. While her primary focus was sewing and needlework classes, she also acquired skills in playing the zither—an instrument comprising both keyboard and strings—and eventually became proficient enough to teach others for a nominal fee. She utilized her earnings to purchase Geingen's first-ever sewing machine through which she fashioned dresses for her friends and family.

As Margarete grew older, she began taking on more fashionable work and amassed substantial income by age twenty-five. Encouraged by her cousin—who happened to be married to Geingen's wool felt supplier—Margarete drew inspiration from them to embark on starting her very own business venture.In 1879, Margarete opened her own successful dressmaking venture. Alongside this, she had a passion for crafting handmade gifts and was always seeking new projects. In the December 1879 edition of 'Modewelt', a crafts magazine, she discovered a pattern for a toy elephant. Excitedly, she made small quantities of it as gifts for friends and acquaintances. Soon, Margarete expanded her offerings to include bears, poodles, and donkeys which she sold in her shop. These bears were not like the familiar teddy bears but realistic replicas made from genuine fur and standing on all fours.

In 1892, Margarete established the "Steiff Company", introducing "soft-filled bears for small children". She founded this company in 1890 due to the growing sales of her handmade animals. To ensure quality, Margarete solely used goods from West German industries as she strongly valued patriotism. Furthermore, she shaped her clientele by refusing sales to communist countries. Despite these

limitations on sales, the Steiff Company flourished remarkably. By 1893, with only four employees and ten outworkers, the company generated a net profit of approximately $40,000.By 1897, the company had grown to ten employees and thirty outworkers, with assistance from Margarete's brother Fritz. This resulted in a turnover of $90,000. To meet increasing demand and ensure equal distribution, Margarete Steiff expanded her company to four factories: two in West Germany, one in Austria, and one in Tunisia. In 1894, she submitted her products to the Leipzig Toy Fair to promote widespread recognition of Steiff Company products. Richard Steiff, Margarete's nephew and son of Fritz Steiff, managed the company's display at the fair and returned with a full order book. Recognizing the importance of brand recognition, Margarete collaborated with Richard on designing a business logo featuring an elephant with an 'S'-shaped trunk.
Richard frequently aided his aunt in creating and manufacturing stuffed animals for the company. He developed invaluable skills through his passion for artistry while studying at Stuttgart University in Giengen. His fascination with various species drove him to continuously study and sketch them. In 1897, he attended Nill's Animal Show seeking inspiration for a new toy. A family of talented young brown bears captivated him during this show; he spent weeks sketching them and observing their behavior.Richard firmly believed that bears had a charming and affectionate nature, contrary to the prevailing stereotype of them being vicious and cold-hearted. He was convinced that stuffed bears would also enchant the public. Sharing his idea with Margarete, he gave her his detailed sketches. Combining her meticulous designing skills, she used scraps of mohair cloth, her favored fabric sourced

from the Angora goat, to craft a prototype in 1902. This soft-colored mohair was carefully imported from the smallest and youngest goats to ensure high-quality fabrics. Margarete designed the bear with quaint shoebutton eyes set deep in a triangular head and a gently pointed snout. A gusset extended to the tip of the nose while an unsophisticated manufacturing technique resulted in a small hump on its back below the head. The bear also had long arms extending to its knees with slightly curved paws adorned with oval or elongated triangular felt pads and embroidered claws.Its long legs were in a vertical ratio of one-to-five with the rest of its body. The bear, named "Friend Petz" by Margarete, was ingeniously jointed at the neck, shoulder, and hips. This teddy bear was not only the first toy made with mohair but also the first upright bear with movable limbs. Due to its rarity and appeal, the Steiffs expected immediate sales. However, when they showcased it at the Leipzig Toy Fair in 1903, Europeans did not show much interest. Disappointed and bored of waiting for attention, they packed their toys in wooden crates and sealed them shut.

Fortunately, Hermann Berg from George Borgfeldt & Co. in New York noticed this innovative bear and recognized its market potential. He promptly purchased 3,000 bears for immediate delivery. Hermann remembered Morris Michtom's version of "Teddy's bear" and how it gained popularity through Berryman's cartoons; Steiff's bear received extensive publicity even before its own creation!

A year later, Richard Steiff attended the World Fair in St.Louis,Missouri where he received significant orders once again.The Steiff Company had already sent over 12,000 bears to America by

then, establishing itself as a major player in this thriving industry.Margarete desired a more recognizable logo for her company.Hence,on May 13th ,1905 her brother Franz registered the new trademark of Steiff with German patent office: a small button placed on the left ear.
The public quickly associated this button with the brand, leading to a boost in sales. The year 1907 is significant for Margarete Steiff & Co.GmbH, known as the "BarenJahr" or 'Year of the Bear' because they achieved a production of one million marks, an unbeaten record. By 1910, the stuffed bear became recognized as the most popular companion in the world. Margarete and Richard received a gold medal for their business achievement, and the Steiff Company was awarded the Grand Prix. Teddy Roosevelt himself played a role in producing several bears. At his daughter Alice's White House wedding in 1906, Teddy adorned tables with Steiff bears dressed as outdoorsmen to symbolize his love for nature thematically. One guest asked about the breed of bears since they knew Roosevelt's expertise on species. Teddy couldn't answer but another guest exclaimed that they were Teddy's Bears. From then on, these stuffed toys became widely known as teddy bears. The teddy bear's immense popularity led to increased sales of other stuffed animals. In subsequent decades, various species such as rabbits, kangaroos, turtles, and more were replicated. A genre called "literary bears" emerged captivating children worldwide with characters like Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, Rupert Yogi and Smokey.
In 1905, Seymour Eaton, a pen name used by English writer Paul Piper, authored a series of books titled "The Roosevelt Bears: Their travels and Adventures," featuring Teddy B. (for brown) and

Teddy G. (for gray). These books showcased the delightful and fanciful journeys of the teddy bears in verse. This marked the beginning of the teddy bear craze.

Unfortunately, the early bears, including those housed in the Steiff museum, did not survive over time. The sole remaining evidence is a blurry photograph found in an old catalogue. However, it is expected that the original teddy bear's desire and value will endure for at least another century.

At present, small and exquisite light or gold-colored bears from earlier times are valued at $350. The worth can vary depending on size or condition abnormalities. If heavily worn out, bears lose fifty percent of their value; however, possessing a Steiff ear button increases their worth by ten to twenty-five percent.

In New Mexico, an original twelve-foot-tall Steiff giant panda holds a valuation of $30,000 (refer to illustration 5). Bear values likewise fluctuate with changes in economic conditions during sales.

Clearly, gifting a Steiff bear as an average child's birthday present may not be financially feasible due to its costliness. Margarete Steiff strongly believed in the everlasting admiration and impeccable worth that history and quality add to these toys—a sentiment that deeply resonates with children's tender hearts.
Through each newly crafted teddy bear produced today under her name,
she remains committed to her personal philosophy: "For our children,
only the best is good enough."