The Teddy Bear's Picnic

This is the cartoon that has long been considered the true inspiration for the Teddy Bear, drawn by popular Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman on November 16, 1902, and featured top center on the front page like the bulk of his political cartoons were. He played into Theodore Roosevelt's own keen sense of political acumen and appearance that was beyond reproach to the point that Roosevelt's friends all wanted copies of the work. Berryman drew many more renderings of this drawing by request over following years, with the bear becoming subtly more cuddly and cute with each iteration. Eventually the bear became his replacement symbol for the real Teddy, and it is reported that he even included a bear drawing in his will. Berryman jumped to the Washington Star in 1907, becoming the only known cartoonist to have a drawing featured in one paper (The Post) in the morning edition and another (The Star) that very evening. The Post was so affected by the loss that it would be 16 years before they would feature political cartoons again. The beloved comic icon of DC died in 1949 shortly after collapsing at the Star, and was mourned by his fans as well as those he lambasted in his years of public prominence.

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