Steiff Teddy Bears, Steiff Monkey UK

In the magazine 'Modewelt' of December 1879 Margarete noticed a pattern for a toy elephant which she started to make in small numbers as gifts for friends and acquaintances. Other animals followed - a bear, poodle and donkey were among early examples - and in a price list of 1883 the toys appear on the last page as an addition to her range of felt items.

By 1893 the Steiff company had four employees and ten outworkers and was achieving a turnover of 12,000 Marks (Ł5,000) from felt and 28,000 Marks (Ł12,000) from toys. By 1897, aided by her brother Fritz, employees had increased to ten, out workers to 30 and total turnover to 90,000 Marks (Ł38,000), quite an achievement for an employer confined to a wheelchair. It is important to note here that as early as 1892 Margarete was offering 'soft-filled Bears for small children' in her range.

THE FIRST TEDDY BEARS

The famous Leipzig fair of 1894 saw Steiff with its own stand manned by Fritz's son Richard who returned with a full order book. Richard, who had previously studied art at school, now helped his aunt with the design and production of the company's stuffed toy animals. In 1902 he came up with designs for a series of jointed animals including a monkey and a bear based on drawings he had made at Stuttgart zoo. At first the items created little interest either in America or at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1903. However, on the last day of the fair, as the Steiff brothers were nailing down the wooden crates, Hermann Berg, a buyer from the New York firm Geo Borgfeldt & Co, visited the Steiff stand complaining that he could find nothing new. The little jointed bear was produced and, seeing a market for these in the USA, he immediately placed an order for 3,000.

None of these early bears survive, not even in the Steiff museum. The only record of them is a somewhat blurred photograph in the catalogue of that time.

The following year, 1904, Richard Steiff went back to America, to the World Fair in St. Louis, and, much to Margarte's delight, returned home with substantial orders. Not only had the Steiff bear become a hit but Margarete and Richard Steiff were awarded gold medals for their enterprise and the Steiff company also received a prestigious Grand Prix Award. By the end of 1904 Steiff were delighted to have sold 12,000 of their little jointed bears.

President Theodor Roosevelt was largely responsible for the success of the Steiff bear in the USA. Known as Teddy to his friends, he was an avid bear hunter and in 1902 while on a four-day hunting trip in Mississippi, he refused to shoot a young bear that had been captured for him.

The famous Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman captured the incident in his now famous cartoon 'Drawing the line in Mississippi' which was a comment on a border dispute he was trying to resolve.

The bear became known as Teddy's Bear and Berryman featured a bear cub in all future cartoons involving the president. The cartoons were the best publicity Steiff could have. It wasn't long before the teddy bear had captured the hearts of Americans. Aided by the Steiff bears imported from Germany the teddy craze took hold in America and, from there throughout the world.

By 1907 nearly a million teddy bears were made by Steiff for buyers in many countries. Never before had a toy made such an impact.

BUTTON IN EAR

Until 1900 Steiff used an elephant with an 'S' shaped trunk as a business logo, and this appeared on the cardboard product labels. Now, Margarete wanted a permanent and more recognisable trademark to set her products apart from the many imitations.

The solution was to attach a small button in the left ear. After a short while as blank buttons they were, by 1904, embossed with the elephant and this unusual trademark quickly became associated with Steiff and its products.

In fact, due to the ruling of the German patent Office at the time, it is not the button itself which is registered as the Steiff trademark but the words 'Button in ear' or 'Knopf im Ohr' as it is in German.

Since this time the Steiff company has jealously guarded its trademark which has become synonymous with plush animals and teddy bears of the finest quality.

Nearly everybody cherishes their childhood teddy bear; so what started this timeless fascination with the simple soft cuddly toy? It all began in 1847 in Giengen, a small town on the River Brenz in southern Germany, with the birth of Margarete Steiff. Confined to a wheelchair through polio from the age of two she attended school like any other child. She later took sewing and needlework classes which were to prepare her for her future career. She also learnt the zither becoming competent enough to teach others. The money she earned from the zither lessons was saved up and spent on the purchase of a sewing machine, the first one to arrive in the town of Giengen.
Margarete subsequently put the machine to good use dressmaking for friends and relatives, and by the age of 25 was undertaking fashionable work and earning a tidy income. In 1879, on the advice of a cousin who was the son-in-law of the wool felt supplier in Giengen, Margarete started her own dressmaking business and soon had many customers for her skirts, dresses, coats and other items.
In the magazine 'Modewelt' of December 1879 Margarete noticed a pattern for a toy elephant which she started to make in small numbers as gifts for friends and acquaintances. Other animals followed - a bear, poodle and donkey were among early examples - and in a price list of 1883 the toys appear on the last page as an addition to her range of felt items. By 1893 the Steiff company had four employees and ten outworkers and was achieving a turnover of 12,000 Marks (Ł5,000) from felt and 28,000 Marks (Ł12,000) from toys. By 1897, aided by her brother Fritz, employees had increased to ten, out workers to 30 and total turnover to 90,000 Marks (Ł38,000), quite an achievement for an employer confined to a wheelchair. It is important to note here that as early as 1892 Margarete was offering 'soft-filled Bears for small children' in her range. THE FIRST TEDDY BEARS The famous Leipzig fair of 1894 saw Steiff with its own stand manned by Fritz's son Richard who returned with a full order book. Richard, who had previously studied art at school, now helped his aunt with the design and production of the company's stuffed toy animals. In 1902 he came up with designs for a series of jointed animals including a monkey and a bear based on drawings he had made at Stuttgart zoo. At first the items created little interest either in America or at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1903. However, on the last day of the fair, as the Steiff brothers were nailing down the wooden crates, Hermann Berg, a buyer from the New York firm Geo Borgfeldt & Co, visited the Steiff stand complaining that he could find nothing new. The little jointed bear was produced and, seeing a market for these in the USA, he immediately placed an order for 3,000. None of these early bears survive, not even in the Steiff museum. The only record of them is a somewhat blurred photograph in the catalogue of that time. The following year, 1904, Richard Steiff went back to America, to the World Fair in St. Louis, and, much to Margarte's delight, returned home with substantial orders. Not only had the Steiff bear become a hit but Margarete and Richard Steiff were awarded gold medals for their enterprise and the Steiff company also received a prestigious Grand Prix Award. By the end of 1904 Steiff were delighted to have sold 12,000 of their little jointed bears. President Theodor Roosevelt was largely responsible for the success of the Steiff bear in the USA. Known as Teddy to his friends, he was an avid bear hunter and in 1902 while on a four-day hunting trip in Mississippi, he refused to shoot a young bear that had been captured for him. The famous Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman captured the incident in his now famous cartoon 'Drawing the line in Mississippi' which was a comment on a border dispute he was trying to resolve. The bear became known as Teddy's Bear and Berryman featured a bear cub in all future cartoons involving the president. The cartoons were the best publicity Steiff could have. It wasn't long before the teddy bear had captured the hearts of Americans. Aided by the Steiff bears imported from Germany the teddy craze took hold in America and, from there throughout the world. By 1907 nearly a million teddy bears were made by Steiff for buyers in many countries. Never before had a toy made such an impact. BUTTON IN EAR Until 1900 Steiff used an elephant with an 'S' shaped trunk as a business logo, and this appeared on the cardboard product labels. Now, Margarete wanted a permanent and more recognisable trademark to set her products apart from the many imitations. The solution was to attach a small button in the left ear. After a short while as blank buttons they were, by 1904, embossed with the elephant and this unusual trademark quickly became associated with Steiff and its products. In fact, due to the ruling of the German patent Office at the time, it is not the button itself which is registered as the Steiff trademark but the words 'Button in ear' or 'Knopf im Ohr' as it is in German. Since this time the Steiff company has jealously guarded its trademark which has become synonymous with plush animals and teddy bears of the finest quality.

........ a brief history of Steiff