Books

The two concluding illustrations from chapter five of Winnie-the-Pooh ("In which Piglet meets a Heffalump") and both published on page 68 of the original 1926 Methuen edition. The first drawing shows Christopher Robin eagerly jumping by a concerned Piglet (to accompany the text "'Well,' said Christopher Robin, putting on his shoes...") The second drawing shows Winnie-the-Pooh with his head stuck in a jar of honey (to accompany the text "Crash went the Heffalump's head against the tree-root..."). E. H. Shepard sold his original drawings for Winnie-the-Pooh at an exhibition held at The Sporting Gallery, Covent Garden, London, 26 November to 21 December 1926. The pairing of these two drawings, sold together, was presumably the artist's. As usual with Shepard's drawings, the published versions are smaller than originally drawn and fine detail in the original tends to be lost. The buttons on Piglet's top, Christopher Robin's jumper, and the tree-root in the heffalump trap have a clarity of line which was lost or blurred when published. Original drawings (91 x 62 mm and 50 x 54 mm) on artist's board (160 x 112 mm and 107 x 84 mm), ink, first drawing signed with initials ("EHS") lower right, with remnants of artist's signature and address on reverse, mounted, framed, and glazed with conservation acrylic glazing (framed size 320 x 245 mm). Strong and unfaded ink drawings. Some browning below mount, not affecting image.

Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A.A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book 'Winnie-the-Pooh' (1926), and this was followed by 'The House at Pooh Corner' (1928). Milne also included a poem about the bear in the children's verse book 'When We Were Very Young' (1924) and many more in 'Now We Are Six' (1927). All four volumes were illustrated by E.H. Shepard.