J O N K E R S R A R E B O O K S
P R E S E N T A T I O N C O P I E S & M A N U S C R I P T S
“Moon came back last Thursday and we had two heavenly days at Lords.” MILNE TO MARJORY MURRAY-RUST 46. MILNE, A.A. WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG with AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED Methuen, 1924/ 1934. First edition, first issue with blank endpapers. 8vo. Blue cloth with gilt lettering and gilt vignettes to upper cover. Top edge gilt. Loosely inserted is a two sided autograph letter on Cotchford Farm headed paper with original envelope. Illustrated in line by E.H. Shepard. A near fine copy, lightly bumped to corners, with the letter in very good order. [33320] £2,750 This book is the first in a series of four and introduces the characters of Pooh and Christopher Robin. The bear in the poem entitled “Teddy Bear” gives us the first glimpse of the bear who has gone on to become one of the most popular children’s characters of all time. Christopher Robin appears in “Vespers”, “Buckingham Palace” and various other poems. The initial print run was only 4500 copies, which sold out on the first week. This copy is accompanied by a handwritten letter from Milne to his close friend, Marjorie Rust. In the letter he described “two heavenly days at Lords” during one of Christopher Robin’s week- ends home from boarding school, cricket being a shared love of both father and son. The match in question was the 1934 second test of the Ashes. “Walters and Wyatt - 160 in 80 minutes- you never saw such batting! We hugged each other in ecstasy at Walters : the most lovely bat in the world.(Moon now practising Walters’ shots).” The letter refers to Christopher Robin by his family nickname, (Billy) Moon. He also asks Marjorie to type up a piece of writing for him, as he plans to send it anonymously to “Punch” and thinks they would recognise his handwriting and his wife, Daff, has writing which is “not quite manly enough”. “I thought it would be fun to see if Punch encourages the unknown beginner”. PROVENANCE: A.L.S. to Marjorie Murray Rust, a close friend of Milne.
“I enclose the latest Pooh” - MILNE TO SHEPARD 47. MILNE, A.A. AUTOGRAPH LETTER TO E.H. SHEPARD [March or April, 1926]. A single page of headed note paper, written on both side, approx. 200 words, talking about Shepard’s illustrations foe Winnie the Pooh, “I enclose the latest Pooh. I saw the drawings of the first two at Methuen’s yesterday, and loved them.” Milne goes on to talk about future collaborations. “...talked to Lucas about Mother Goose (for next year). My idea is that when I have chosen the nursery rhymes to go in... we should each make our comments on them independently - I in words and you in pictures... I suggest that we share 50/50 over this book.” And about meeting, “We go to Cotchford today until May 3rd. Do come over - with family or without - some time... we should be delighted to see you.” Fine condition. [40755] £7,500 A superb letter between one of the most important creative partnerships in children’s literature, about the preparation of Winnie the Pooh. The Mother Goose to which Milne referred, never came into being. It seems that Milne entered into a contract with Dutton to produce such a book, but possibly the demand for Winnie the Pooh meant that Milne’s take on old fashioned nursery rhymes, adapted to include verses about Christopher Robin and Winnie The Pooh, became Now We Are Six. 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.
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