Margarete Steiff | |
|---|---|
 Margarete Steiff | |
| Born | 24 July 1847 Giengen, Germany |
| Died | 9 May 1909 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Founder of Margarete Steiff GmbH |
Margarete Steiff (24 July 1847 – 9 May 1909)[1] was a German seamstress who in 1880 founded Margarete Steiff GmbH, more widely known as Steiff, a maker of toy stuffed animals.[2]
Born in Giengen, Germany, Margarete contracted polio as a child, leaving her with both legs paralyzed and pain in her right arm. After training as a seamstress, she was able to raise enough money to purchase a sewing machine by teaching people to play the zither. She began making clothes, eventually opening her own store in 1877. Around this time, Margarete came across a sewing pattern for a toy elephant, as well as patterns for mice and rabbits. Using felt and lambswool, Margarete made many of these toys as gifts for friends, and later began to sell some. Proving popular, the scale of production steadily increased, as did the variety of toys. In 1902, the company began making a toy bear with moveable joints based on a design by her nephew, Richard Steiff. Taking off in the United States, it was nicknamed after then-U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt, becoming the first "teddy bear".[3][1]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Storywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Markham, Stephanie Reed (14 July 1985). "Shopper's World; Steiff's Lair For Bears". The New York Times. sec. 10 p. 12. Retrieved 22 July 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ Gehman, Richard (17 December 1961). "The Power Of A Teddy Bear". Marquette University. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.