| Even if you did not own "Teddy" as a kid, you | | | | stuffed animal, a bear, in honor of the |
| most certainly had at least one stuffed | | | | president's actions. They named the bear |
| animal that you carried around or described | | | | "Teddy's bear," denoting the close |
| your day to when you got back home. Today, if | | | | relationship between President Roosevelt and |
| you walk across a window shopping area and | | | | the saved animal. Their sweet, innocent small |
| your eye catches "Teddy" looking at you from | | | | stuffed bear became an instant hit and the |
| behind the glass, you will probably feel the | | | | Michtoms founded the first teddy bear |
| inclination to get inside the store and touch | | | | manufacturing company in the United States, |
| its fur. Perhaps you will even buy the | | | | named Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.At the |
| staffed animal, even if you have no kid to | | | | same time, literally, a former art student, |
| give it to, since some teddy bears have | | | | Richard Steiff, made a prototype of a toy |
| become expensive collector's items.The teddy | | | | bear that was based on Richard's designs. |
| bear made its entrance in late 1902, | | | | When a few months later he introduced his |
| appearing in the same year in two different | | | | first bear, an American toy buyer, who was |
| countries: Germany and the United States. | | | | aware of the interest in teddy bears in U.S., |
| According to the story, while President | | | | ordered 3,000 and brought Steiff in the |
| Theodore Roosevelt was at Mississippi to help | | | | States offering him the opportunity of a life |
| settle a boarder dispute between that state | | | | time.After years of mass-production, the |
| and Louisiana, his hosts wanting to please | | | | teddy bear comeback was initiated by a |
| this avid hunter took him bear hunting. But | | | | British actor, Peter Bull, who in 1969 |
| since the hunting was poor, when they finally | | | | publicly declared his love for teddy bears |
| managed to capture a bear, the President's | | | | and his belief in this stuffed animal's |
| hosts invited him to shoot the poor animal. | | | | importance in the emotional life of adults. |
| Roosevelt's refusal to shoot the unprotected | | | | Since then, collectors have been purchasing |
| animal, was illustrated by Clifford | | | | the hand-made teddy bears and in 1999, in |
| Berrymnan's in one of his cartoons, titled | | | | just the United States, collectors purchased |
| "Drawing the Line in Mississippi." After it's | | | | $411 million worth of teddy bears. In |
| publication in the Washington Post on | | | | addition, the ongoing interest in this lovely |
| November 16, 1902, a number of people were | | | | stuffed animal by kids and adults, will keep |
| inspired by the image and Morris and Rose | | | | its legend alive for years to come. |
| Michtom from Brooklyn, NY, decided to make a | | | | |