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Health & Fitness

Endearing baby face!

I acquired this old bear in the year, 2000. For the next ten years, I searched for my old bears face on this computer, book stores and library's, without any luck. The year 2010 came and I decided to focus my research on my old bears body to find its manufacturer. I remember  reading about early Ideal bears had the look of a drumstick, (turkey leg). designed into their legs. I realized my old bear had this look too. I read about early bears were very stiff, jointed and made of mohair. My bear has these features too. But my bear has this face that no other bear has!! Could my old bear be a prototype? Months went by learning about the early years of teddy bear making. One day I focused on the famous Smithsonian bear. I couldn't believe how much my bear resembled the Smithsonian bear, not the face just the body. So my research focused on early Ideal bears. After reading thousands of web pages, bits and pieces would stand out from all the rest. I realized the earliest teddy bears were designed to stand upright. I looked at my bear and focused on his flat feet. I thought, could my old bear stand up too. I thought, flat feet, very stiff body parts, jointed. It all adds up, he just might stand up. I then took him over to our dinning room table. Put him in a standing position, moving his legs and arms attempting to stand him up and he did. My old bear was designed to stand upright.!!! Wow, my old bear is very old! But what about his face! He has a face like no other bear. So, then I focused on the earliest know items on the teddy bear such as 1905 postcards, and other glass items documenting the history of the American teddy bear. Such as the Teddy Roosevelt, Square Deal Glass Plate cir. 1904. These items document the teddy bear standing upright with a open mouth. I then went over my hundreds of copies of web pages to find the ones that stood out from the rest. Reading about the Michtom's bear taimed the beast. And the Michtom's bear looked sweet, innocent and had a endearing baby face. Right away I looked up the word endearing in the dictionary. Endearing means, everlasting smile! I went over to my bear, and took a good look at his face. There is that smile! The same smile that is on many of the earliest postcards of 1905-1910. More research required. Months go by with much more findings that connect to my bear as being the first style bear made by Morris and Rose Michtom, Made in honor of the President Theodore Roosevelt. I then remember going into a shock that lasted for weeks. 

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