Smithsonian Magazine29d
How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to Replace the Teddy Bear as America’s National Toy
In 1909, wealthy widow Susie W. Allgood marketed a plush marsupial inspired by President William Howard Taft. But children ...
Hosted on MSN28d
How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to Replace the Teddy Bear as America's National Toy
It might seem ridiculous to suggest that the beloved teddy bear, named for the story of ... had “a head that is likely to give a baby [a] nightmare.” It looks “too much like a rat, is ...