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City cozies up to Teddy exhibit
By Paul Solsrud
Published:
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Media Credit: Emily Merrill
�Bear Beginnings: A Century of the Teddy Bear� display was brought to the Stearns History Museum by Jim Ploof. Ploof has been collecting Teddy bears since about 1985, and prefers to focus on the older bears, normally before 1950. His oldest bear was made in 1906.
Media Credit: Emily Merrill
Each of Ploof�s bears has a name and a story behind it. These significant individual details are provided with each of the bear displays. Since Ploof�s collection of Teddy bears is nearing the 1000 marker, he has computerized each of the Teddys� bios to preserve them for future generations.
Teddy bear collector Jim Ploof, along with the Stearns History Museum, will be showcasing over 100 antique Teddy bears until January 2004.
"Bear Beginnings: A Century of the Teddy Bear," which opened Sunday, displays over 100 antique bears as well as an illustrated history of the Teddy bear, and the individual history of the bears on display.
Ploof, who had shown a similar display there in 1989, contacted the museum to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Teddy bear.
The name Teddy bear comes from a 1902 cartoon showing President Teddy Roosevelt saving a bear while hunting. After permission from the president, Morris Michtom began producing Teddy bears at the Michtom Ideal Toy Company, which grew substantially due to the popularity of the bears.
The bears on display are sure to invoke memories of spectators' childhoods, as well as be educational. Information will also be provided at the exhibit for anyone interested in collecting bears for themselves.
"We try to describe the history and the maker, (this) helps to date the bear," collector Jim Ploof said. "There will also be information on everything from collecting to valuing and restoring (Teddy bears)."
Ploof has been collecting Teddy bears since about 1985, and prefers to focus on the older bears, normally before 1950. He has always been interested in antiques and found himself drawn to Teddy bears. His display focuses on Teddy bears manufactured before 1950. These older bears are much harder to find than those made after 1950, "because everybody's got those," he said. His oldest bear was made in 1906.
Most of his bears have names, usually they are named after relatives or the person Ploof got the bear from. Many have accompanying stories that are displayed with the bears at the exhibit. Keeping track of all those little stories and names, however, is a challenge.
"I have everything computerized," he said of his vast collection of bears. "I'm pushing 1,000 Teddy bears...I collect to preserve them for the next generation."
Ploof said most of his bears were found at antique shops, toy shows, on eBay and various Web sites. According to Ploof, many books and magazines can help identify the maker of the bear and the year of production, but the Internet has been the most helpful in finding new bears and identifying the origins of his bears.
"The Internet has really opened things up to everybody," he said.
In addition to the more modern Teddy bears on display, Ploof also presents a few of his mechanical bears. Although this anniversary marks 100 years of the Teddy bear, wind-up and mechanical bears are much older. Production of these bears was common in the 1800s in Japan.
"There are barbers, dentists, bears fishing and marching; you name it, there's a bear doing it," he said.
The Stearns History Museum was organized in 1935 and moved to its current building in 1985. According to Ann Meline, assistant director, the museum was established to preserve the history of the county. Ploof's exhibit is one of approximately 10 displays that are currently available for viewing at the museum.
Meline was proud to have the Teddy bear display available for community members to see.
"You can really see the history of toys and Teddy bears," she said. "He (Jim Ploof) has provided a lot of history of the Teddy bear and collecting. He has a lot of extra information."
The display will run until January 2004, with an appearance of collector Jim Ploof on June 28 during the Wheels Wings and Water Festival. Ploof will be available to answer any questions then. More information is available by contacting the Stearns History Museum at 1-800-253-8424. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children, $10 for families and year-long memberships can be purchased for $25.
POLITICAL CARTOONIST INSPIRES MITCHOM
Morris Mitchom first became inspired to market "Teddy's Bears" after viewing a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman. Berryman heard the story of President Roosevelt's refusal to shoot an old bear for sport while hunting in Mississippi and drew a cartoon depicting the incident. The bear Berryman drew in this cartoon appeared in many more of his political pictorials throughout Roosevelt's presidency.
Berryman, one of 11 children, always had a flair for drawing. Even though he got his start working at the United States Patent Office, he continued to practice his artwork and by 1896 he was given a job at the Washington Post.
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