It is interesting to note how global the world was as far back as 1921. During the course of the history of the teddy bear, The J.K.Farnell & Co. manufactured bears in England. And, it was one of Farnell's teddy bears that Christopher Robin received as a gift from his mother for his first birthday in 1921. Christopher Robin Milne is A.A. Milne's son and it was Christopher's adventures with his teddy bear [he named him Edward Bear] and other stuffed animals, that inspired A.A. Milne to write stories about a boy, a bear, and other stuffed toys. So, where did the name, Winnie-the-Pooh, come from then?

To answer this question, one needs to return across the pond to Canada. More specifically, Winnipeg, Manitoba. In Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo, there is a statue called Winnie's Statue. This bronze sculpture depicts a British-born WWI military officer, Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, standing with bear cub while holding its paws. They are each staring into each other's eyes. It appears as though they are waiting for music to a waltz to start. Delving further into the story behind this statue, one finds a story that unites nations and people.

The British-born solider, Lt. Harry Colebourn, was a veterinary surgeon during World War I. Having volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force, he traveled from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Quebec en route to Europe. One of the stops was in White River in Northern Ontario where his love of animals caused him to buy a black bear cub from a hunter, who had killed the bear's mother. Lt. Colebourn named her Winnipeg, Winnie for short, as a memory to his adopted home town. Winnie became the troop's mascot and accompanied them to England.

When Colebourn was sent to France, he had to leave Winnie behind and so formally presented her to the London Zoo in December 1914. The visit was intended to be short, because Lt. Colebourn had expected to return from war, sooner, rather than later. But the war did not end until much later. When he returned to the London Zoo after the war, he saw how much affection had developed between Winnie and her many friends, both animal and human. Including, Christopher Robin.

A.A. Milne and his son, Christopher, would visit the zoo frequently, and spend a great deal of time with Winnie. In fact, Christopher Robin would enter Winnie's cage and feed her condensed milk. The reason for the condensed milk was because Christopher Robin said that Winnie did not like honey.

Then, in 1926, Christopher Robin went to live in Sussex, England, leaving Winnie the Bear and Pooh, the Royal Swan, behind. He took with him, his teddy bear friend named Edward Bear. And because we all know that bears have minds of their own, Edward Bear told Christopher Robin that he wanted "...an exciting name all to himself, [so] Christopher Robin said at once, without stopping to think, that he was Winnie-the-Pooh. And he was..."

The much loved stories of Winnie-the-Pooh have been enjoyed by generations, translated into almost every language and "Pooh Bear, the Bear of Very Little Brain, is the most popular personality in [Walt Disney Company's] portfolio of the most-loved and trusted characters known to millions of people the world over."

The love for teddy bears knows no boundaries and it unites nations and people.

Winnie-the-Pooh is just one example of the power of a [teddy] bear.

Check back for The History of the Teddy Bear - Part II

A veteran teacher of 14 years, Liz Vanderwater collects teddy bears and has incorporated traveling teddy bears into her classroom. Student teddy bears have traveled around the world and visited all 7 continents.

Source: www.isnare.com