Fashion — 1906-1907
Soft toy, teddy bear
The donor's eldest son received this teddy bear as a present in 1907, when it was the latest fashionable toy. It makes a growling sound when the stomach is pressed and was made by the Steiff Company in Germany. Sandy coloured plush, probably Excelsior stuffed, with jointed arms and legs, button eyes, hump on back and Steiff metal button in ear.
In 1902, Margarete Stieff, a disabled german toy manufacturer, made the first plush toy bears. The name comes from a cartoon of US president Theodore ('Teddy') Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a tethered bear. Teddy bears were an instant hit and have become a traditional childhood toy, beloved by millions.
- Category:
- Fashion
- Object ID:
- 55.46/1
- Object name:
- soft toy, teddy bear
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Steiff
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1906-1907
- Material:
natural fibre, wool, plastic
- Measurements/duration:
- H 520 mm, W 385 mm, D 165 mm
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.