Happy Birthday Teddy

 

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Teddy Bear, we have compiled a list of books and other items for bear lovers of all ages!

(click the links to go to the information and purchasing page at Amazon.com)

For Collectors of All Ages

Teddy Bear Centennial Book - Linda Mullins - Hardcover book filled with 230 color photos, celebrating the evolution of the Teddy Bear. Museums, manufacturers, collectors and artists share insight and memories of the Teddy. Amazon.com

also by this author:
The Teddy Bear Men, 2nd Edition: Theodore Roosevelt & Clifford Berryman
Amazon.com

Linda Mullins Teddy Bears & Friends Identification & Price GuideAmazon.com

American Teddy Bear Encyclopedia Amazon.com

Christie's Century of Teddy Bears - Leyla Maniera Amazon.com

The Century of the Teddy Bear - Constance Eileen King Amazon.com
Miller's Teddy Bears: A Complete Collector's Guide - Sue Pearson Amazon.com
Identification and Price Guide to Winnie the Pooh Collectibles - Carol J. Smith Amazon.com
Three Cheers for Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World - Brian Sibley & Ernest Shepard - The true story behind A.A. Milne's creation of Winnie the Pooh! Amazon.com

 

Steiff Identification & Price Guide by Linda Mullins Amazon.com

 

 

Books For Kids

The Legend of the Teddy Bear- Frank Murphy Amazon.com

The Teddy Bears' Picnic - Jerry Garcia
Amazon.com
Beautiful, colorful illustrations - and a cassette tape of The Teddy Bears' Picnic song is included!

 

 

 

Corduroy by Don Freeman Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Toys and Miscellaneous Neat Stuff!

Shining Star Bears - soft and cuddly, available in pink, yellow or blue, the additional charm of these adorable teddies is that they come with everything you need to name your own real star! When you choose a name it gets registered with the International Star Registry! Let your teddy lover reach for the stars! Special money-saving offers are available here as well. A truly unique gift for the teddy bear lover!
Amazon.com

 

Bear Bookends Amazon.com	Teddy Bear Artists Postcard Book - Linda Mullins & Ho Phi Le Amazon.com

 

 

Care Bear movie VHS or DVD Amazon.com	Care Bears with video (this is Tenderheart Bear but all the Care Bears are delightful and making quite a comeback!) Amazon.com

 

 

For Do-It-Yourself Lovers

 

Constructing Teddy and His Friends
by Jennifer Laing Amazon.com

 

A Trio of Teddies to Crochet
- Paulette Morrissey Amazon.com

 

Two-Hour Teddy Bears - Anita Louise Crane Amazon.com

 

Teddy Bear Art: How to Design & Make Great Teddy Bears - Jennifer Laing Amazon.com

 

 

A Little History of the Teddy Bear

Stuffed animals have long been a childhood favorite, but none are so universally recognized and loved as the Teddy Bear. They are the third most collectable item after stamps and coins. An antique Steiff Teddy Bear has sold for as high as $250,000!

The history of the lovable teddy is a bit unclear. Several versions of a similar story have persisted over the years. What is clear is that the Teddy was named after our 26th President, Teddy Roosevelt. In 1902 the President was in Mississippi to settle a border dispute. While there the President, an avid hunter, decided to spend a day engaged in his favorite sport. This is where the story begins to differ. One version is that, unable to find any game, one of the president's aides found a lost bear cub. He caught it and tied it to a tree and offered it to the President. The President couldn't shoot the defenseless animal, believing it to be unsporting. Another story is that the bear was a large female, but, also tied to a tree, Teddy felt this was unsporting. Even another version has the animal an angry bear cornered at a watering hole, fighting with and killing one of the groups hunting dogs. The President has the wounded animal put out of it's misery.

However the story goes, it was a member of the press, cartoonist Clifford Berryman from the Washington Post, who would immortalize the image of the hunter/President turning his back on a defenseless cub which would be seen by readers all over the country. One of these readers was a novelty and candy store owner from Brooklyn named Morris Michtom. On seeing the cartoon, Morris's imagination took off and his wife Rose handmade a couple of stuffed bears and, after acquiring the President's permission to use his name, placed the bears in their shop window with a sign stating "Teddy's Bear."

To say the bears were popular would be an understatement. Within a year the Michtoms founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company which is still one of the largest toy companies in the world.

At about this same time, in Germany, a story begins which also has several versions. Suffice it to say Margarete Steiff's company began making jointed bears during the 1902-03 period. These bears were introduced at the 1903 Leipzig Spring Toy Fair. When an American toy buyer say them, he ordered a few thousand for distribution in the U.S. Together with what was happening in New York, the Teddy Bear phenomenon was off and running.

Although Teddy has gone through many transformations over the years, it's clear that his universal popularity only increases with time. Generations have looked back with fond memories to their teddies of the past, while new generations will continue to let their imaginations soar with teddies of the future. Here's to the Teddy Bear, an all-time favorite.