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73 MILNE, A. A. Autograph letter signed to Ernest H. Shepard. [London: Spring 1926] the progress of the latest Pooh book Autograph letter signed from A. A. Milne to Ernest H. Shepard discussing the progress of the latest Pooh book and a potential collaboration on a volume of Mother Goose rhymes. Letters between Milne and Shepard are very seldom seen in commerce. Most were retained by Shepard until his death and bequeathed by his widow to the V&A. Milne begins, “Dear Shepard, I enclose the latest Pooh. I saw the drawings of the first two at Methuens yesterday, and loved them”. Milne is referring to Winnie-the-Pooh , which was in production during the first half of 1926 and published on 14 October of that year. It appears that Shepard was illustrating individual chapters as Milne wrote them, here having completed drawings for two chapters and awaiting more text. Milne goes on to discuss the planned Mother Goose (which would not be completed). In March of that year he had signed a contract with Dutton’s to prepare an edition of these rhymes to be illustrated by Shepard and delivered before 1 February 1927. Possibly the demand for Winnie-the-Pooh meant that Milne’s take on old fashioned nursery rhymes was adapted to include the collection of verses about Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh became Now We Are Six . “My idea is that when I have chosen the nursery rhymes to go in – about 51, I should think – but some will be very short – we should each make our own comments on them independently – I in words and you in pictures”. As evidenced by this letter, Milne had an unusually supportive relationship
with his illustrator. Earlier that year he had offered Shepard a 20% stake in the royalties from Winnie-the-Pooh , an unprecedented move at the time (Thwaite, pp. 296–297). Now his offer is even more generous, as he proposes “that we share 50/50” of the Mother Goose royalties. He closes with an invitation, “We go to Cotchford today till May 3rd. Do come over – with family or without some time. You may have other suggestions to make about Mother Goose , and anyhow we should be delighted to see you. Yours ever, A. A. Milne”. This is a very nice letter providing a glimpse into one of the most important creative partnerships in children’s literature. Provenance: from the collection of Pat McInally. Double-sided autograph letter signed on a single sheet of Milne’s printed stationery. A few very minor creases at the lower left corner. Excellent condition. ¶ Ann Thwaite, A. A. Milne: His Life , 1990. £7,500 [144839] 74 MILNE, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1926 A rare inscribed copy in deluxe binding First edition, first impression, deluxe issue, presentation copy inscribed by the author, “Gertrude Adams, with best wishes, from, A. A. Milne, Christmas, 1926” on preliminary blank. The recipient was the Milnes’ housekeeper at Mallord Street, Chelsea, and also a personal maid to Daphne Milne. Inscribed copies of the first Winnie-the-Pooh story book are scarce and such copies in the deluxe binding are rarer. We can trace only two copies in commerce, including the present copy. This copy includes a short letter of provenance explaining how Gertrude Adams bequeathed the book to Alice Gulliver, the former cook to the Milnes. On her death she left the volume to her niece. John R. Payne provides details of the special binding, noting that “3,000 copies of the first trade impression were printed by 11 September [1926] and ordered bound in red, blue, and green leather by Burn the same day”. Winnie-the-Pooh was an immediate success and garnered even more enthusiastic reviews than its predecessor, with one
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featuring Pooh as a “Russian bear”, dressed in full traditional Russian costume, with a fur hat and playing a balalaika. Only a handful of books with original drawings by Shepard have come to market over the years. This is the third edition; it was first published the preceding year on 11 October 1928. The House at Pooh Corner was received by critics with a delight tinged by sadness. “ The Times Literary Supplement congratulated Milne on avoiding ‘the temptation to repeat his successful formula mechanically’, though it was ‘sad to see the stories end’” (Thwaite p. 336). Octavo. Original pink cloth, titles to spine and pictorial design to front cover gilt, top edge gilt. With dust jacket. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Illustrated throughout by E. H. Shepard. Spine bumped, partial tanning to half-title and colophon, dust jacket nicked and chipped at corners. ¶ Ann Thwaite, The Brilliant Career of Winnie-the-Pooh , 1992. £17,500 [138703]
critic writing that “when the real Christopher Robin is a little old man, children will find him waiting for them. It is the child’s book of the season that seems certain to stay” (Thwaite, p. 317). Octavo. Publisher’s deluxe red sheep, spine lettered in gilt, spine and front cover with pictorial design in gilt, illustrated map endpapers, gilt edges, blue silk book marker. Illustrations throughout by E. H. Shepard. Extremities very slightly rubbed, some very light foxing; a near-fine and extremely bright copy. ¶ John R. Payne, “Four Children’s Books by A. A. Milne”, Studies in Bibliography , vol. 23, 1970, pp. 127–139. Ann Thwaite, The Brilliant Career of Winnie-the-Pooh , 1992. £18,750 [157227] 75 MILNE, A. A.; SHEPARD, E. H. (illus.) The House at Pooh Corner. [With an original drawing of Winnie-the- Pooh.] London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1929 e. h. shepard transforms Winnie-the-Pooh into a russian bear The final Winnie-the-Pooh book, with a rare original signed pen-and-ink drawing by E. H. Shepard on the title page,
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
CHILDREN’S BOOKS & ORIGINAL ARTWORK
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