This post is getting some notes, so let me tell you a little about her history and the company.
[Image ID: A black and white photograph of a woman in a long black dress and a wheelchair. In her hands she holds a teddy bear with overalls on. /End image ID]
Appolonia Margarete Steiff was born in Giegen, Germany on 24 July 1847. At just 18 months old, she would contract a high fever that lead to paralysis in her legs and limited use of her right arm, but wouldn't be diagnosed with Polio until she was 3. While her parents aggressively consulted with doctors and travelled to find Margaret treatment to restore functionality in her legs- even going as far as pursuing surgery- they were unsuccessful, and Margaret would become a full-time wheelchair user. Of course, this is the 1800's, and at the time being a wheelchair user meant that you could only anticipate a grim future, because it was assumed that the afflicted person could never be a housewife, mother, or wage earner.
Despite the pain in her arm, she would attend needlework classes where she completed her training to become a seamstress at the age of 17. By being paid to teach people how to play the zither, she saved up to buy herself a sewing machine- the first one in Giegen- and would begin working out of the new workshop that her father built for her. She would eventually be told by her cousin's husband to start a real company, and sold handmade felt clothing and garments as her start-up.
Then, in December of 1879, Margaret would find a pattern for a stuffed baby elephant in the German magazine Modenwelt, and began sewing some. She originally gave them to friends as presents, but would start selling them in 1880 once they became popular amongst children. This would be around the same time that Margarete Steiff GmbH would have been officially founded.
By the time she sold over 5,000 stuffed elephants, she began making stuffed toys of other animals- including cats, dogs, mice, horses, monkeys, and rabbits. Pull-along and ride-on toys were also added thanks to the development of metal frames inside the toys.
The basis of many of Steiff's animals after 1897 is attributed to the detailed sketches of Margaret's nephew, Richard Steiff. In 1902, he would present one to Margaret that would leave her feeling skeptical: a stuffed bear dubbed the "Bear 55 PB," with moveable arms and legs and made of mohair, making it the first "cuddly" stuffed toy for children.
[Image ID: A black and white profile photo of a man with a mustache sitting down at a desk. He holds a Teddy Bear up, facing him. In the background is a sign, with the word "Steiff" visible. /End image ID]
Despite her reluctance, she allowed Richard to present the bears at Leipzig toy trade fair in 1903, when Hermann Berg, an American trader, became interested in them and proceeded to order 3,000 to be sent to the US, where they'd see great success. Starting in 1906, these bears would soon come to be known as the "teddy bear," named after then-US president Theodore Roosevelt and his incident with a bear on a hunting trip that he refused to shoot it himself.
[Image ID: A digital scan of Steiff plush tags. They're white with red or black text, and one is yellow with red text. They feature an outline of a Teddy Bear with a button on its right ear, next to their logo and slogan, all in German. The backs of the tags feature standard material and product information. One tag is black and wavy, showing Margaret Steiff's signature in white and plain text underneath it reading "Margarete Steiff Edition". /End image ID]
A major part of their brand is their trademark "button on ear," created in 1904 in order to help their customers identify their genuine, high-quality products from the numerous cheap imitations. To this day, Steiff products can still be identified with this same brand sign.
Unfortunately, Margaret would die unexpectedly at the age of 61 on May 9th 1909, after suffering a severe lung infection from a case of pneumonia. Her passionate and devoted nephews would take over her company, just as Margaret had wished, as a way of honoring her life. Just a year later, Steiff would win the Grand Prix at the world exhibition in Brussels.
[Image ID: A modern photoshoot of current Steiff plushies around a black and white set. Text above it reads "Celebrating 140 years". The plushies include four elephants and four bears, all with a button on their right ear and another on their chest/side. On top of the photo is the modern Steiff logo on a card, reading: "1880-2020. Tradition. Craftsmanship. Quality since 1880." It's signed with Margaret Steiff's same signatuture. /End image ID.]
Today Steiff is still going strong, and is widely regarded as being among the most high-quality toy manufacturers in the world, having produced more than 20,000 other stuffed animal designs. Margaret is also still revered as one of the greatest leaders in the toy industry, one that people still visit the grave of to pay their respects to one of history's most successful disabled woman entrepreneurs.
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