Since his existence, he has brought pleasure, serenity, and comfort to children and people of all ages worldwide. A Teddy Bear is very special, because he is more than a toy - he is a companion.

1. Who is Teddy Bear?
Since his existence, he has brought pleasure, serenity, and comfort to children and people of all
ages worldwide. A Teddy Bear is very special, because he is more than a toy - he is a
companion. He has wonderful qualities, he consoles when needed, he has compassion when
required, and he knows everything about us including our deepest thoughts. He is our most
intimate friend! Did you ever feel like that about your Teddy Bear? I am sure you did, we all did!
How can a stuffed bear, although cute and cuddly bring so much pleasure and happiness to our
lives? Let's look at some of Teddy's origins.
It is well known that the name "Teddy" originates from Theodore Roosevelt, President of the
United States of America 1901-1909, who was referred to as Teddy by the public. There are
numerous stories of how the Teddy Bear received the President's name. One story refers to a
Mississippi bear-hunting trip where villagers wishing to please the President captured a bear for
him to shoot, however, the President flatly refused. He drew a line, as this was not fair hunting
sportsmanship. This encounter became a famous cartoon story by Clifford Berryman under the
title of "Drawing the Line in Mississippi." The cartoon caught very wide attention, which

2. eventually led to the Teddy Bear and its name. Another story suggests that the staff of Hotel
Colorado wanted to cheer-up President Roosevelt during a hunting trip with a gift. They
presented him with a small stuffed bear made by the housekeeping employees. His daughter,
Alice, liked the bear and gave it the name Teddy.
Based on my findings, it seems that Teddy was born around 1902, but this was not just a US
birth. Coincidentally, at the Steiff Company in Giengen an der Brenz, Baden Württemberg in
Germany, the owner Margarete Steiff, produced stuffed animal toys. Her nephew Richard Steiff
was an artist who drew animal pictures for the stuffed animal toy production of the company. In
1902, Richard visited the Stuttgart Zoo and made a sketch of a bear cub. The company started
production of his design and the German (Teddy) bear was born. How wonderful sometimes
coincidences work. Was it destiny to remember internationally a great President throughout the
ages with this divine toy? In 1903, at the Leipzig Toy Fair Steiff sold 3000 bears to an American
toy merchant and by 1907 the Steiff Company sold 974,000 bears. Whatever the stories are, the
fact remains that the Teddy Bear became a famous and beloved toy ever since the time of
President Theodore Roosevelt. A nice long stretch!
The bear market is still going strong to this day. Teddy Bears or stuffed bears in general are
here to stay for generations to come. It is interesting to know that in some families Teddy Bears
have become heirloom pieces. Did you know that bear collectors are called arctophiles? The
word derives from the Greek language "arcto" meaning bear and "philos" meaning lover. Bears
are not just a toy for children, bears are also used as mascots by many organizations or as
corporate gifts and uncountable other special uses. There are also Teddy Bear Clubs and some
organizations even have annual conventions to celebrate these lovable keepsakes.
Teddy Bear has reached its 106th Birthday, that is a good old ripe age, but we all know he will
live forever.