The Teddy Bear Tale: How a Hunt with Teddy Roosevelt Inspired an Iconic Toy #ai #generativeart

The Teddy Bear Tale: How a Hunt with Teddy Roosevelt Inspired an Iconic Toy

#ai #generativeart

The name 'teddy bear' comes from ex-President Theodore Roosevelt, who was nicknamed 'Teddy' (even though he didn't like it). It all started on a hunting trip in Mississippi back in November 1902 when Roosevelt was invited by Governor Andrew H. Longino. They were hunting bears, and after a long chase, his crew managed to corner, club, and tie up a black bear. They called Roosevelt over and suggested he shoot it, but he thought that would be unsportsmanlike. Instead, he told them to put the poor bear out of its misery. This whole incident became the subject of a political cartoon in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. A guy named Morris Michtom saw that cartoon and got the idea to create a small, soft bear cub. He put it in his candy shop window with a sign that said 'Teddy's bear,' and people loved it. That's how the teddy bear craze began, and Michtom even started the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. thanks to its success