Judge — January 26, 1907 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1907 Judge cartoon satirizes President Theodore Roosevelt's famous bear-hunting trip. The title "The Teddy Pride" references the teddy bear—a toy named after Roosevelt following his 1902 refusal to shoot a captured bear, which he deemed unsporting. The cartoon depicts Roosevelt (identifiable by his characteristic features and military attire) surrounded by anthropomorphic bears in what appears to be a tent or camp setting. The satire likely mocks Roosevelt's celebrated hunting prowess and masculine frontier image, or comments on how the teddy bear phenomenon had commercialized and domesticated his wilderness adventures. The bears' presence suggests commentary on the gap between Roosevelt's rugged hunter persona and the cute, cuddly cultural icon the teddy bear had become—undermining his tough-guy reputation through commercialization and popular sentimentality.