Hello again, friends and fellow arctophiles! Humphrey B. Bear here, back to fill you with Part 2 of my genealogy.  You will recall in Part 1, we talked about how it all started in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a hunting expedition in Mississippi and refused to shoot a bear that had been cornered for him to kill.  This prompted Clifford K. Berryman to make a cartoon which appeared in the Washington Post and prompted the series of events that sparked the teddy bear craze.  

The years 1905 to 1909 marked the height of the first teddy bear craze and coincided with President Roosevelt's second term in office.  Several American companies were formed to compete with Steiff during this period including American Doll and Toy Manufacturing and Miller Manufacturing.  Many companies produced novelty bears such as the electric-eye and cork filled teddy bears.  The electric-eye bear was a pretty interesting fellow - he had bulbs in his eyes that lighted up when his tummy was squeezed (he looked a little creepy, but I'm sure he was a sweet little guy ... after all, aren't all teddy bears sweet?)  Many early teddy manufacturing companies made an appearance during this period, but were all short lived.

British bear making industry made a strong showing during World War I when J.K. Farnell and United Toy Manufacturing Company began production.  Prior to the War, German companies were producing six times more teddies than Great Britain.  Dean's Rag Book Company, Johnson Brothers of Birmingham and several other companies were founded in Great Britain and began producing uniformed mascot bears which were popular during the War.  France and Australia also began developing their teddy bear industries with Australia producing a jointed bear which was patented in 1916.

Well, that's enough for this week.  I just love history, don't you?  Tune in next time for more interesting facts about my ancestors.  I may even be able to drum up some pictures of my early relatives for you to see.

Until next time, big furry hugs to you all - may you always have honey!


Humphrey B. Bear, TBIC