Old teddies and new teddies

Teddy bears have changed over time. When the first teddies appeared some 100 years ago they looked more like a real bear, with longer snouts, lower foreheads and smaller ears. Carla Helfferich of the University of Alaska Fairbanks wrote about the evolution of teddy bear design in her excellent article called Time and the Teddy Bear.

Antique Steiff teddy bear

This beautiful antique Steiff teddy bear can be seen at The Teddy Bear Museum

Today's teddy bears appear more baby-like, with roundish faces and cute big eyes. They also benefit from modern soft materials and, of course, come in a range of hard-to-resist attractive colors.

Modern Owen teddy bear

The fact remains: antique or new, teddy bears always raise oohs and aahs with people of any age, serving not only as cuddly toys but also as the perfect Valentine's gift.