2021-02-10 Wed

Soft and plumpy squish and cuddly, a teddy bear is a favourite toy of any toddler especially girls. Teddy bears create comfort for the young and store memories for the old. These soft toys are often very treasured to us. Did you know how these soft toys came into existence?

Did you know that the Teddy Bear was invented in honour of President Theodore Roosevelt? It all began when Theodore Roosevelt was on a bear hunting trip near Onward, Mississippi on 14th November 1902. Roosevelt's assistants cornered and tied a black bear to a willow tree. They summoned Roosevelt and suggested that he shoot it. Viewing this as extremely unsportsmanlike, Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear.

The news of this event spread quickly through newspaper articles across the country. Clifford Berryman, a political cartoonist, read the article and decided to lightheartedly satirize the president's refusal to shoot the bear. Berryman's cartoon appeared in the Washington Post on 16 November 1902. Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn candy shop owner, saw the cartoon and had an idea.

He and his wife Rose also made stuffed animals, and Michtom decided to create a stuffed toy bear and dedicate it to the president who refused to shoot a bear. He called it 'Teddy's Bear'.After receiving Roosevelt's permission to use his name, Michtom mass-produced the toy bears which were so popular that he soon founded the Ideal Toy Company. To this day the Teddy Bear has worldwide popularity and its origin can be traced back to Theodore's fateful hunting trip in 1902.

The above stamp is the 32 cents stamps issued to celebrate the Century of Teddy Bear Created. The stamp shows a Classic Teddy bear along with the denomination, country’s name on the top right corner and the legend that reads “Teddy Bear Created” is on the left side of the stamp. Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.

Image Courtesy: colnect.com