Teddy bear:Brass Button Collectibles | Radar

The making of toy animal figures from plush fabric was not far removed from the cloth dolls that gained such popularity in the late 19th century. But surely children found much more to like about their soft, furry playthings. Youngsters found comfort in the texture of these toys and in their simple faces of shoe-button eyes and embroidered noses and mouths. Cuddled and cherished, these figures inspired children's fantasies of make-believe adventures and often became their constant companions in reality too. The teddy bear, inspired by the benevolence President Teddy Roosevelt showed towards a bear cub while on a hunting expedition in 1903, became a universal icon of childhood in the 20th century. Plush toys of nearly every other animal have joined the teddy bear in nurseries, playrooms, children's bedrooms, and everywhere.