Vintage Allies Quarterly Magazine VAV! MAG draw a cartoon. Two stories were encapsulated within this cartoon with portrayal in two ways—the President's refusal to shoot a captive animal and his intentions of settling a border dispute. The cartoon, which garnered much interest, appeared in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902 and was reprinted widely.
Do you love your teddy bear? Did you know that the teddy bear wasn't 'born' until late 1902? Vintage Allies (VAV!) readers and listeners, the teddy bear appeared in two different parts of the world in the same year! Germany and the United States. The teddy bear, as reported, began with a cartoon drawn by Clifford Berryman entitled "Drawing the Line in Mississippi." The cartoon depicted then President Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a baby bear. As legend or history will reveal, President Roosevelt had journeyed to Mississippi to settle a border dispute between that state and Louisiana. During the course of the trip, his gracious hosts, all too knowing of his passion as an avid hunter, took him bear hunting. With the hunting trip lacking, someone is said to have captured a bear and invited Roosevelt to take aim. Roosevelt refused his host's gesture and refused to shoot the helpless target. This sentimental and altruistic act on the President's behalf inspired Berryman to Vintage Allies Quarterly Magazine (VAV! MAG)
Through this cartoon's inspiration, Morris and Rose Michtom, Russian immigrants and owners of a toy novelty store in Brooklyn, New York, designed a bear in honor of President Roosevelt's conduct. The bear, so beguiling in its sweetness, was named "Teddy's Bear" by the Michtoms! "Teddy's Bear" soon became a cuddling lovable star in public demand. The Michtoms, through the help of a wholesale firm, founded the first teddy bear manufacturer in the United States, the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. Ironically, during the same year the Michtoms had created "Teddy's Bear", a continent away in Germany, another was industriously working on a toy bear, as well! Richard Steiff, employed by his aunt Margarete Steiff, who owned a stuffed toy business you may have heard of...the Steiff firm, made a prototype of a toy bear. This bear, with his elongated muzzle and rounded back, bore no resemblance to "Teddy's Bear". The Steiff bear resembled a real bear cub! Margarete Steiff registered patents for the bears to include a brown dancing bear with a bear handler! By 1906 in America, the bear was the fellow to sport about town cradled in the arms of children everywhere! These bears began cropping up in all manner of delightful form and color in the following Page 213