Research Paper on:
History of Teddy Bears Collectibles

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Teddy bear, and while its history is an integral part of American folklore, its true origins continue to be hotly debated by Arctophiles or Teddy bear collectors (Brewer, 2002).  One fact everybody seems to agree on is the name "Teddy bear," which is attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1902, when the President was in Mississippi to settle  a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana, a bear hunting party was arranged for him (History of the Teddy Bear, 2002). Unfortunately, the bear hunting was about as unproductive  as boundary negotiations, so in desperation, Roosevelts hosts captured a bear cub for the President to shoot (History of the Teddy Bear, 2002). However, Roosevelt refused to do so,  maintaining it was unsportsmanlike to shoot a confined bear (History of the Teddy Bear, 2002). Cartoonist Clifford Berryman immortalized the incident in a cartoon that appeared in both The  Washington Post and the Washington Evening Star in November 1902, with a caption which read, "Drawing the line in Mississippi" and showed the President, with his hand outstretched, exclaiming, "Stop!  I wont shoot! (Smith, 1998, p. 42) After seeing the cartoon in The Washington Post, Rose Michtom made a small, jointed bear that resembled the cub featured in the  caricature (History of the Teddy Bear, 2002). Soon, the bear, dubbed "Teddys Bear," was featured, along with the cartoon in the window of Rose and her husband Morris confectionery  shop in Brooklyn, and passers by began requesting the novelty item (History of the Teddy Bear, 2002). With business quickly booming, the Butler Brothers, toy wholesalers, acquired the manufacturing  rights to the bear, and in 1903, the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company (later Ideal Toy Company), was born, with bears being churned off the assembly line with increasing frequency