There was a celebration in 2002 to mark 100 years of a major 20th century icon the evergreen lovable Teddy Bear. The debate will continue as to where the Teddy bear got its name as it came to being at almost the same time in Germany and the United States. In was in the late fall of 1902 that Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt the 26th President of the USA was out on a hunting expedition. The hunting were upset after failing to find any prey and came across a small bear which they tied to a tree and asked the President if he would like to kill it! Roosevelt was a good hearted man a declined their offer with the words ‘Spare the Bear’ this sorry reached the ears of a one Clifford Berryman who drew a cartoon which was published in the Washington Post. This cartoon and the accompanying story caught the imagination of the American public immediately There are many claims for producing the very first Teddy Bear but soon after this story appeared Morris Mishcom and his wife Rose who owned a shop in Brooklyn produced a small bear and called it Teddy’s Bear . Rose had actually made the bear for Morris to display in the shop window accompanied by Berryman’s cartoon. Then America went Teddy Bear crazy, the wholesale firm of Butler Brothers seized the opportunity and decided the Teddy Bear was going to be a commercial success and bought all of Mishcom’s stock. Rose and Morris used the money paid to them to establish a teddy bear manufacturing business that was an instant success. By 1097 the Mishcom’s teddy bear business had headquarters in New Jersey and the teddy bear had become so popular the early years of the 20th century became know as the Teddy Bears years. Many other Teddy Bear manufactures entered this lucrative market and all sorts of Teddy bears began appearing. Meanwhile in Germany a highly imaginative Margarete Steiff who had spent best part of her childhood confined to a wheelchair after contracting polio started experiment with stuffed soft toys. They made great gifts and her brother Fritz started selling these unusual toys in the local market. One of her nephews Richard was fascinated by bears having watched them perform at the Nill zoo. He worked with Margarete Steiff taking rigid bears that had been a featured in Steiff catalogues for over ten years turning them into soft toys that children could cuddle and play with. A rich golden plush fabric was used to imitate bears fur and together they produced a ‘teddy bear’ to show at the Leipzig toy fair. They were disappointed with the sales until an American buyer fell in love with their Teddy Bear and promptly ordered 3,000 Teddy Bears to be sent to the USA.1907 was known as ‘The year of the Teddy Bear’ with 1million Teddy Bears being sold. Margarete Steiff died in 1909 and the business was carried on by her family, the name Steiff becoming synonymous with Teddy Bears. In 1938 Morris Mishcom died and the business was taken over by his son Benjamin who started producing Teddy Bears with long noses and long arms which became very popular. The first Teddy Bears to be produced in Britain are believed to have been made by J.K.Farnell a small toy factory in Acton, London. Agnes Farnell daughter of the founder had started producing Teddy Bears with slightly upturned noses that became`favourites for British children before the First World War. Farnell’s sold massive amounts of Teddy Bears to leading London store Harrods. The outbreak of the war led to the Johnson brothers who had established Chad valley as a leading toy supplier banning imports of German goods. They then introduced a variety of Teddy Bears that were sold under the Chad Valley Brand. Indeed the War itself led to the production of Teddy Bears wearing miniature replicas of army uniforms. Years before Poems about Teddy Bears had started appearing I wish I had a Teddy Bear, to sit upon my knee; I’d take him everywhere, to cuddle up with me. I’d scorn young men, no lover then, My lot in life should share, they all might go to Jericho, If I’d Teddy Bear Pelissier’s Follies 1909. By the 1920’s Australia had entered the teddy bear industry and Joy Toys started making beautiful soft teddy bears using wood wool. Joy’s teddy bears were very similar in styling to the German teddy bears with their slim bodies and limbs. By the 1930’s their teddy bears started resembling British Teddy Bears and Kapok was being used to stuff them. The 30’s and 40’s saw the demise of many of the smaller English Teddy Bear manufactures. The teddy bears made in America during this period had barrel shaped bodies and distinctive nose stitching. The 50’s saw the emergence of Sooty a teddy bear glove puppet who starred in a series of shows called Teddy Bear Magician along with British comedian Harry Corbett and in America, Teddy Bear maker Agnes Brush made her own version of Winnie the pooh. Back in Britain Michael Bond published his first ‘A bear called Paddington’ story. The late 60’s experienced a revival of old-fashioned Teddy Bears due to a publication by Peter Bull an avid teddy bear collector who published a book about his hobby. Teddy Bear artists started making hand crafted collectible teddy bears. In 1969 Bull was given a teddy bear that became a star in the television series Brideshead Revisited. The 70’s saw many Australian Teddy Bear makers disappear as import tariffs were lifted on imported toys. The early Australian Teddy Bears were of exceptional high-quality made from the finest imported English mohair. One of the earliest and rarest Australian teddy bears was teddy-koala made in about 1910. The 70’s also saw a dramatic rise in collectible teddy bear prices as they began to appear at London auctions. Teddy Bears have always been and will always remain objects of great love and affection and old teddy bears provide insights into the past. In the 80’s Dean’s Co. Ltd was formed from the take over of Dean’s Rag Book Co a company noted for their production of teddy bears and Watty Watford a Wollie teddy bear was produced by R.Dakin & Co as part of a range of teddy bears. Gund celebrated 85 years of toy making in 1983 and a Steiff Teddy Bear was auctioned at Sotheby’s for £55,000. Teddy Bear museums have now been opened in Australia, Germany, England and America. Many of the old Teddy Bear manufactures have started producing replicas of their older lines Steiff’s Teddy Rose, a limited edition of 8,000 were produced in the 90’s and Alfonzo a red plush Teddy Bear commissioned by George Mikhailovich the Grand Duke Of Russia for his Daughter in 1908 was reproduced in a limited edition of 5,000 pieces. Merrythought had also launched a Diamond Jubilee Teddy Bear to celebrate 60 years in business.