A classic bear and how it became a Teddy
Chances are that at some point in your life, you will have owned a teddy bear, a stuffed, soft toy in the form of a bear, most probably when you were a child.
I myself have an olive green, faux fur, hand made teddy bear given to me when I was born, although I don’t remember receiving it, that is the story I was told and I still have that teddy bear today, several decades later.
The classic teddy bear is still a popular choice of soft toy to give to a child and is widely accepted as the most popular stuffed animal toy by many.
The original toy bears can be traced back as far as the 1880s and German toy manufacturers Steiff. But how did a stuffed animal toy in the form of a bear become a Teddy?
The Teddy Bear – A brief history
Theodore Roosevelt (nicknamed Teddy) who became the 26th president of United States of America in 1901, was invited along on a hunting trip in Mississippi in the Autumn of 1902.
As the legend goes, President Roosevelt was unsuccessful on the hunt and so the hunt’s guide, an accomplished hunter named Colt Colliers, caught and tied a black bear to a tree for the president to shoot.
President Roosevelt is reported to have declined to kill the bear saying it was ‘unsportsmanlike’. The story of the Presidents apparent compassion for the bear spread and Clifford Berryman, a political illustrator for The Washington Post drew a cartoon named ‘Drawing the line in Mississippi’, depicting President Roosevelt’s refusal to kill the tethered bear.
A sweet shop owner in Brooklyn New York, Morris Mitchtom, saw the cartoon and asked his wife Rose to make a small, stuffed, toy bear to put in their shop window with a sign saying ‘Teddy’s bear’.
The little stuffed bear proved to be so popular that, with the permission of President Roosevelt himself, the Mitchtoms started producing Teddy’s bears and formed the Ideal Toy company in 1903.
Teddy’s bear later became Teddy bear.
World Famous bears not just Teddies
The World’s imagination was so captivated by the Teddy Bear that by 1914, when German imports, including teddy bears, were banned at the start of WW1, British toy manufacturers saw an opportunity and started producing their own versions.
J.K.Farnell, considered to be Britain’s oldest soft toy maker, was responsible for producing the ‘Alpha’ bear purchased by the Milne family in 1921 for their son Christopher Robin.
You can purchase a replica of Christopher Robin’s original ‘Alpha’ bear named Edward from another British manufacturer, Merrythought. Merrythought soft toys began in 1930 and is still going strong today, they took over the Farnell name in 1996.
Teddy Bears also became a popular source of inspiration with British Authors and illustrators. Rupert the bear, a comic strip character by Mary Tourtel made it’s first appearance in The Daily Express newspaper in 1920, A.A.Milne’s children’s book about Winnie-the-Pooh, a honey loving bear and his friends was first published in 1926 and Michael Bond’s book about Paddington, the marmalade loving bear from darkest Peru was published in 1958.
Whether you are 9 or 90 you will most likely be familiar with at least one, if not all, of these bear characters and I think that really testifies to the enduring nature of these lovable little bears.
Fast Forward to the 1980’s - Teddy Bear collecting and Artist Bears
Did you know that someone who likes or collects bears is know as an ‘Arctophile’ from Greek meaning ‘bear lover’?
I started collecting teddy bears when I was 18 years old, this was the first time I really had my own money thanks to leaving school and starting work. I soon realised it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be (the work) and headed back into education and off to university to study Textiles.
Apparently collecting bears really only took off in the 1980’s and it wasn’t just old and valuable bears like Steiff or Merrythought that collectors wanted.
Artist bears are teddy bears designed or made by artists, often one-of-a-kind or sometimes limited-edition and they are coveted for their uniqueness much like a painting or sculpture is.
Having finished my bachelor’s degree and teacher-training, I was struggling to land my first permanent post as a Textiles Teacher when I stumbled upon ‘Teddy Bear Artist’ being a thing. Being an Arctophile myself I decided to give it a go trading under the name Funny Bear.
I always liked to be a bit different and make people smile so it seemed apt. During my second event, a local collectors fair in Cornwall, (the first event was a disaster, but let’s not speak about that!) I was approached by two bear shop proprietors, wanting to stock my designs in their shops.
So there is was! I was a Teddy-bear Artist. That may have been many moons ago, but one of those shops is still trading and I am still supplying them with exclusive stock.
LIMITED EDITION COOKIE-CUTTER VELVETEEN BEARS – AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY HERE
A new generation of Arctophiles
So now you know a little more about teddy bears and my personal journey into toy-making, perhaps the inspiration and backstory for Green Dog Dolls is a bit clearer? (Being a story teller, there is always a story to be told!)
With the launch of Green Dogs Dolls website and blog, I wanted to design a completely new teddy bear exclusively for website visitors and perhaps inspire a new generation of Arctophiles.
Dress-me-up Teddy Dolls are cute, soft body, fabric dolls with teddy bear heads. The faces are hand embroidered so they should be suitability for children* to play with, but please use your own judgement, as to the suitability of a hand-made item, before giving to a child*.
Start off Teddy’s dress-me-up wardrobe today with the floppy bow neck tie. A new design will be added to the collection every month.
Why not sign up to my bi-monthly newsletter below for the latest pattern release dates, so you don’t miss out? Next month’s design is a pair of comfy dungarees with a pet cat, mini Rodney, in the pocket.
NB: Some of the dress-me-up wardrobe designs feature small parts and may not be suitable for young children. Please use your own judgement with regard to giving any hand made toys to children. (See Terms and Conditions)
Thank You & Happy Making x
