Teddy Bear
Object NameTeddy Bear
Datec. 1910
MediumMohair, glass, leather
Dimensions19 × 10 1/2 × 4 in. (48.3 × 26.7 × 10.2 cm)
ClassificationsDolls, Doll Accessories, Toys and Games
Credit LineGift of Louise Haug. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Object number79.4.2
Status
On viewLabel TextFrom the University Museums Collections Handbook, vol. 2, 2025:
Although the stuffed bear toy existed for many years, the “Teddy” moniker did not appear until after 1902. That year, President Theodore Roosevelt joined Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino and others on a black bear hunting expedition near Onward, Mississippi. After Roosevelt failed to spot a bear, others in the hunting party chained a bear to a willow tree and invited the president to take a shot. Viewing this tactic as highly unsportsmanlike, Roosevelt refused to shoot the restrained animal, an act which sparked nationwide admiration that made its way into popular culture. On November 16, 1902, the Washington Post featured a cartoon of the president, an avid big game hunter, “drawing the line” at killing a restrained fuzzy bear cub.
The cartoon image and story inspired Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn candy shop owner, and his wife Rose, who crafted stuffed animals. The couple decided to create a plush bear in honor of the president who refused to shoot one—naming it “Teddy’s Bear.” After securing Roosevelt’s permission to use his name, Michtom mass-produced the toy bears beginning in 1903. Their immense popularity soon led him to establish the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company (1903–1938). The Farm House has two examples of the universally beloved Teddy Bear in the collection.
Locations
- (not entered) Iowa State University, Farm House Museum, Bedroom
Object Name: Bread Plate
United States Glass Co.
1907
Object number: UM2012.346
