The Smithsonian Teddy Bear ~ w/Jointed Right Arm & Red Ribbon Bow
Stuffed bears have been popular toys in America for nearly 100 years. Nobody knows when or where the first stuffed bear was made. We do know that Teddy Bears first appeared in the early 20th century. The story of the Teddy Bear is generally associated with Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, and a noted sportsman and hunter. A favorite bear story tells of a trip the president made in 1902 to Mississippi and Alabama to help settle a boundary dispute. While there, his hosts took him hunting. Not finding much game, the party rounded up a bear and presented it to Mr. Roosevelt to shoot. But the president felt that a captured bear was no sport at all and refused to kill it. Newspaper reporters covering the president's trip wrote about this unusual incident. Cartoonist Clifford Berryman from the Washington Post popularized the event by drawing cartoons of Roosevelt and the bear. Some folks believe that stuffed bears got the name "Teddy" at this time from the president.
In 1964 Kermit Roosevelt, the president's grandson, presented an early Ideal Toy Company teddy bear to the Smithsonian Institution. The bear was made about 1903 and is probably one of the first Teddies. Museum historians are still not certain about the details of this story. They are sure, however, that the Smithsonian specimen is a fine looking example of the species known as "Teddy". This bear, with his cocky head and frown, is based on the original bear in the collection of the National Museum of American History.
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