Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$3125.00 + shipping
Description: A two-page AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) on both sides of 5-1/2" x 7-3/8" personal stationery to "My dear Sir" [Vincent Seligman]. Written just weeks before the publication of Milne's most famous work, WINNIE-THE-POOH. This fine letter offers insight into Milne's sharp sense of humor and includes indirect references to his most famous book. Milne refers to a person in his letter as a "cygnet" (a young swan), a reference which may have been in mind as Winnie The Pooh was a blended name created by Milne, being a combination of the name "Pooh," after a cygnet swan they met on holiday, and "Winnie," a black bear cub he often saw at the London Zoo. There is also a lighthearted poke at his publisher, Methuen. In part: "I have arrived safely at the house to which you sent me, and think that I shall like the situation. I wanted to begin a serial story for the DAILY MAIL at once, but the man here said 'No, there's a letter we must write first,' and I said 'Oh, I see,' and began writing 'Dear Methuen,' but he snatched me away from the paper, and said it wasn't that sort of letter at all, which disappointed me rather because I thought I had got a literary situation. But he promised me we should do some poetry afterwards, and I said 'All right.' And of course when he began 'Dear Vincent,' I said 'Oh, know that man well; let me write the letter, while you get the ink off your hands.' He was terribly pleased with me, and I'm to keep on saying 'Thank you' until I run out of ink. But I really am to say 'Thank you very much. Assuring you, Sir, of my respects, and again thanking you for obtaining me this literary situation which I have always wanted from a cygnet so to speak. Yours faithfull [sic] The Pen. P.S. It was his fault about the ink, not mine. T.P. P.P.P. Now we are going to practise his signature: A. A. Milne. P.P.P.S. He says that's the best he's ever done." A delightful letter. Vincent Seligman was a banker who ran the London bank Seligman Brothers. He and his wife Barbara were close friends of the Milnes. Seligman dedicated his book, OXFORD ODDITIES, to Milne. Crease from mailing otherwise Fine
Seller: Charles Agvent, est. 1987, ABAA, ILAB, Fleetwood, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$4844.09 + shipping
Description: First edition, first impression, out-of-series copy of 100 copies signed by Milne, Shepard, and Fraser-Simson on the limitation leaf, and additionally inscribed by the publishers for the composer "This is a presentation copy for H. Fraser-Simson, Esq." Harold Fraser-Simson published six volumes of his musical settings of the verse of A. A. Milne and, as noted by Thwaite, "his settings became very familiar through the wireless" (Thwaite, Brilliant Career, p. 61). When the verses for When We Were Very Young first appeared in Punch, Milne was approached by numerous composers wishing to set them to music. He chose Fraser-Simson who was his neighbour in Chelsea and the composer of the phenomenally successful musical The Maid of the Mountains. There would eventually be 67 songs and Milne noted that "the music is exactly right" (Thwaite, p. 272). When Songs from "Now We are Six" was published in 1927, Daphne Milne suggested a sound recording of three of the songs on the HMV label. "Down by the Pond", "The Engineer" and "The Friend" were sung by Christopher Milne, accompanied by the composer. "Us Two" was also recorded, but recited by Christopher without accompaniment. One of Christopher's cousins described the recording as "the unacceptable face of Poohdom" (Thwaite, p. 329), but the record does preserve Christopher Robin performing three of Fraser-Simson's settings of Milne and "giving the performance all he'd got" (Thwaite, p. 329). Ann Thwaite, The Brilliant Career of Winnie-the-Pooh, 1992; Ann Thwaite, A. A. Milne. His Life, 1990. Large octavo. Publisher's blue cloth-backed boards, front cover with paper label lettered in dark blue. Illustrations throughout by E. H. Shepard. Extremities a little worn, some occasional minor foxing, gatherings unopened: a near-fine copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
A. A. Milne. Winnie The Pooh SIGNED. Methuen & Co. LTD, London, 1926.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Description: First UK edition, first printing with "First Published in 1926" stated on the copyright page. Signed by A. A. Milne on a professionally tipped in page from a signed limited edition, therefore the authenticity is guaranteed. Measures approximately 7.75" x 5", with 158 numbered pages. This book is in very good plus condition. Minor bumping to both ends of spine. Gilt lettering and design on spine and front board still bright and well preserved. Rear hinge cracked. Winnie-the-Pooh is a 1926 children's book by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The book is set in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, with a collection of short stories following the adventures of an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. Please view the many other rare titles available for purchase at our store. We are always interested in purchasing individual or collections of fine books. Inventory# (M4-13).
Seller: Ernestoic Books, Clarence, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$8500.00 + shipping
Description: Handsomely bound with a navy blue linen quarter spine and blue-green paper covered boards with a white printed paper label on the front. A Very Good Plus copy with a touch of sunning to the spine, light wear and bumping to the corners and shelf-wear along the bottom edges and a touch of soiling to the paper label. With the personal stamp impression of B.J.T.(Bernie Talpin) at the bottom corner of the front endpaper. And a vintage book catalogue entry for this item glued at the top of the front paste-down.Very clean and tight throughout with splendid hand-made deckle-edge paper. With the large folding map of Pooh Country and the 100 Aker Wood protected with folding tissues at the back of the book. In an acetate protective jacket. A gloriously charming and scarce book. Winnie-the-Pooh is a 1926 children's book by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The book is set in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, with a collection of short stories following the adventures of an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. It is the first of two story collections by Milne about Winnie-the-Pooh, the second being The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne and Shepard collaborated previously for English humour magazine Punch, and in 1924 created When We Were Very Young, a poetry collection. Among the characters in the poetry book was a teddy bear Shepard modelled after his son's toy. Following this, Shepard encouraged Milne to write about his son Christopher Robin Milne's toys, and so they became the inspiration for the characters in Winnie-the-Pooh. The book was published on October 14, 1926, and was both well-received by critics and a commercial success, selling 150,000 copies before the end of the year. Critical analysis of the book has held that it represents a rural Arcadia, separated from real-world issues or problems, and is without purposeful subtext. More recently, criticism has been levelled at the lack of positive female characters (i.e. that the only female character, Kanga, is depicted as a bad mother). Winnie-the-Pooh has been translated into over fifty languages; a 1958 Latin translation, Winnie ille Pu, was the first foreign-language book to be featured on the New York Times Best Seller List, and the only book in Latin ever to have been featured. The stories and characters in the book have been adapted in other media, most notably into a franchise by The Walt Disney Company, beginning with Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, released on February 4, 1966 as a double feature with The Ugly Dachshund. It remains protected under copyright in other countries, including the UK. (Wikipedia) First edition of the signed/limited edition, this being 119 of 350 numbered copies.
Seller: Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books, Holliston, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$9500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Number 136 of 350 copies signed by A. A. Milne and the illustrator, E. H. Shepard, who helped bring Winnie the Pooh to Life. Original blue quarter cloth over blue boards with paper label to front. A Very Good+ to Near Fine copy with the spine lightly sunned and small bumps to corners and wear to the board edges. Previous owner's name on the front paste-down, otherwise an excellent copy internally. Retaining the large folding map to the rear. Housed in a handsome clamshell case. The first of A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books, responsible for introducing children the world over to Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, and Kanga and Roo. One of the most influential children's books in the world, it tells of the adventures of Christopher Robin, his bear Pooh, and their friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Milne notably drew inspiration from the toys and playtime of his young son, who also appears as a regular character and the only human figure in the Wood. Very Good +.
Seller: Whitmore Rare Books, Inc. -- ABAA, ILAB, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.
Milne, A.A.; Shepard, Ernest H.. WINNIE THE POOH. Methuen, London, 1926.
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Description: Signed limited large paper copy, one of only 350 numbered copies signed by Milne and Shepard, of the first book of Pooh prose stories. In Milne's first book of children's verse, WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG (1924), the silly old bear appears in only a couple poems and does not yet have a name. After that book's smashing success, Milne was encouraged by his wife to write down some of the bedtime stories he made up for his son about his favorite toys. Here we get many of the best loved stories from the Hundred Acre Wood: Piglet meets a Heffalump, Eeyore has a birthday, and Pooh runs out of honey. This is a beautiful copy of the deluxe signed edition. 8.75'' x 7''. Original quarter blue cloth, light blue paper boards. In original blue printed dust jacket. Illustrated by Shepard in black and white throughout; folding map at rear. Printed on handmade paper. xvi, 158, [2] pages. Signed by Milne and Shepard on limitation page. Small bump and rub on lower corner, expected offsetting to endpapers, else beautiful. Jacket with toning to spine and some light soil and wear.
Seller: Type Punch Matrix, Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
Milne, A.A. (Alan Alexander). Winnie-the-Pooh. Methuen, London, 1926.
Price: US$17500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Crown 8vo, 7 5/8 x 5 in (194 x 127 mm), pp. 158, green cloth, gilt stamping on the front board with an illustration of Christopher Robin and Pooh, gilt lettering on spine, top edge gilt; full-page and text illustrations, illustrated endpapers with map of "100 Aker Wood. Drawn by me and Mr. Shepar Helpd (sic.)"; in very good dust jacket (slightly worn, some dust and finger smudging - primarily affecting back panel, spine panel somewhat sunned, some dampstaining to bottom edge of spine panel, 1/4 inch; 6 mm tear to stop of spine panel, slight chipping with no losses to lettering or design elements). Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard (except where exceptions are noted). THIS COPY SIGNED IN INK BY BOTH A.A. MILNE AND ERNEST H. SHEPARD ON THE TITLE PAGE. [Haring-Smith C79; Cutler-Stiles p. 116; Grolier, no. 71]. Milne, A.A. (Alan Alexander: 1882-1956). Winnie-the-Pooh. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1926. First Edition. Crown 8vo, 7 1/2 x 5 in (192 x 126 mm), pp. 160, green cloth, gilt stamping on the front board with an illustration of Christopher Robin and Pooh, gilt lettering on spine, top edge gilt; full-page and text illustrations, illustrated endpapers with map of "100 Aker Wood. Drawn by me and Mr. Shepar Helpd (sic.)"; Cover and spine lightly rubbed, endpapers age stained as usual The second in the classic quartet of Milne's cycle based on the teddy bear which belonged to his son, Christopher Robin Milne. Pooh first appeared in a poem, published in Punch in February 1924, and reprinted in When We Were Very Young, but the character was only fully developed in Winnie-the-Pooh, which documents the adventures of the "bear of little brain." Accompanied by the magical drawings of Ernest H. Shepard, whom Milne had met as they both were contributors to Punch. Their collaboration spanned many projects and "Milne was so aware of the extent to which Shepard's drawings contributed to the success of Winnie-the-Pooh that he arranged for him to share in the royalties." [Grolier: One Hundred Books Famous in Children's Literature, p. 232] To own a copy of this first trade edition, signed by both contributors is exceptional.
Seller: Rob Zanger Rare Books LLC, Middletown, NY, U.S.A.