Saturday, November 29, 2008

Original Winnie The Pooh Drawings

Winnie-the-Pooh

Winnie the Pooh [Lot]



winnie the pooh halfway through a wall

"Pooh pushed and pushed and pushed his way through the hole..."



winnie the pooh halfway through a wall drawing

"Oh, help!" said Pooh. "I'd better go back."
"Oh, bother!" said Pooh. "I shall have to go on."
"I can't do either!" said Pooh. "Oh, help and bother!" [Lot]




christopher robin drags pooh bear up stairs

He nodded and went out ...and in a moment I heard Winnie-the-Pooh
– bump, bump, bump – going up the stairs behind him." [Lot]

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 159 of Winnie-the-Pooh and comprises a full-page illustration in the published volume. It represents one of the iconic images of Winnie-the-Pooh and comes from the final chapter in which Christopher Robin gives a Pooh party, and we say good-bye.




Oh Pooh, Do You Think It's A - A - A Woozle.

..."What do you see there?"
"Tracks," said Piglet. "Paw-marks..."
Oh, Pooh! Do you thinks it's a – a – a Woozle?"

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 34 of Winnie-the-Pooh from the chapter in which Pooh and Piglet go hunting and nearly catch a woozle. This is the first drawing in the sequence of hunting illustrations." [Lot]



'What.' Said Piglet, With A Jump

"What?" said Piglet, with a jump.

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 37 of Winnie-the-Pooh. It is from the chapter in which Pooh and Piglet go hunting and nearly catch a woozle. It is the third drawing in the sequence of hunting illustrations." [Lot]



A Happy New Year

A Happy New Year [Lot]



Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings

"This illustration of Eeyore with holly, Pooh with a jar of honey and Piglet with a Christmas cracker comprises the original illustration for the only known Christmas card created by E.H. Shepard featuring the A.A. Milne characters." [Lot]



Do You See Piglet. Look At Their Tracks!

"Do You See Piglet? Look At Their Tracks!"

"This original illustration is reproduced (at a different angle to the original) on page 38 of Winnie-the-Pooh. It is from the chapter in which Pooh and Piglet go hunting and nearly catch a woozle. It is the fourth and final drawing in the sequence of hunting illustrations." [Lot]



winnie the pooh with head in a honey jar

"...there was a little left at the very bottom of the jar,
and he pushed his head right in..."

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 64 of Winnie-the-Pooh. It is from the chapter in which Piglet meets a Heffalump.
The reverse of the drawing includes a note that this drawing was given by Shepard's daughter as a gift in 1974." [Lot]



He Went on Tracking, and Piglet ... Ran After Him.

"With these few words he went on tracking, and Piglet,
after watching him for a minute or two, ran after him..."

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 35 of Winnie-the-Pooh and comprises a full-page illustration in the published volume. It is from the chapter in which Pooh and Piglet go hunting and nearly catch a woozle. It is the second drawing in the sequence of hunting illustrations." [Lot]



I Saw a Heffalump Today Piglet

"...Christopher Robin finished the mouthful he was eating
and said carelessly: "I saw a Heffalump to-day, Piglet."

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 55 of Winnie-the-Pooh. It is from the chapter in which Piglet meets a Heffalump." [Lot]



I'm Not Throwing It, I'm Dropping It, Eeyore.

"I'm not throwing it, I'm dropping it Eeyore."

{"Pooh had got the biggest stone he could carry, and was leaning over the bridge, holding it in his paws."}

"This original illustration was reproduced on page 98 of The House at Pooh Corner and is from the chapter in which Pooh invents the game of Poohsticks. At this point Eeyore had fallen into the river and Pooh, Piglet and Rabbit were attempting to make waves to wash him to the bank." [Lot]



Just The House For Owl. Don't You Think So, Little Piglet.

"Just the house for owl. Don't you think so, little Piglet?"

"This original illustration was reproduced on page 159 of The House at Pooh Corner and is from the chapter in which Eeyore finds the Wolery and Owl moves into it. It shows Eeyore suggesting to Piglet that Piglet's house, the "Wolery", would be a perfect new home for Owl."



pooh bear, piglet and rabbit

"Lucky we know the forest so well or we might get lost." [Lot]



Piglet Gets Ready For The Party

Piglet gets ready for the party.

"This Shepard drawing is a later version of that reproduced on page 149 of Winnie-the-Pooh from the final chapter of the book in which Christopher Robin gives a Pooh party." [Lot]



The Bath a

The Bath



The Bath b

The Bathmat

Christopher Robin gave a deep sigh... At the door he
turned and said, "Coming to see me have my bath?"

"These original illustrations are reproduced on pages 19 and viii respectively of Winnie-the-Pooh." [Lot]



The Friend

The Friend

"When offered at auction in May 1998 it was noted that a previous owner had typed the verse 'The Friend' (from Now We Are Six) and attached it to the back of the original frame (now destroyed). That poem notes that 'lots and lots of people... are always asking things' and Winnie-the-Pooh is a companion or confidant when confronted with these general knowledge questions. The published illustration shows Christopher Robin with Winnie-the-Pooh and, probably, a writing slate.

The idea of friendship through letter-writing is therefore not present in the poem and the illustration offered here may comprise an earlier illustration before Shepard had read Milne's verse." [Lot]



The Pooh Cook Book Preparatory Sketch a


The Pooh Cook Book Preparatory Sketch b

The Pooh Cook Book Preparatory Sketch(es)

"This preparatory sketch includes the reverse of the leaf prepared with pencil rubbing for transfer of outlines. The Pooh Cook Book, "inspired by" the A.A. Milne stories was written by Katie Stewart and published by Methuen in 1971. It was later renamed The Pooh Corner Cook Book." [Lot]



The Search for Small a

Very Small Beetle exercising round a gorse-bush



The Search for Small b

"Pooh!" he cried. "There's something climbing up your back."

"These original illustrations are reproduced on pages 52 and 47 respectively of The House at Pooh Corner. They both come from the chapter in which a search for Small is 'organdized'." [Lot]



Then They Went On To  Kanga's House, Holding On To Each Other.

"..then they went on to Kanga's house, holding on to each other.."

"This original illustration was reproduced on page 129 of The House at Pooh Corner and is from the chapter in which Piglet does a very grand thing. It shows Pooh and Piglet walking against the wind on the way to Kanga's house." [Lot]



When Christopher Robin Had Nailed It On Its Right Place

"...and when Christopher Robin had nailed it on in its
right place again, Eeyore frisked about the forest..."

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 52 of Winnie-the-Pooh. It is from the chapter in which Eeyore loses a tail and Pooh finds one." [Lot]



Wind on the Hill

Tailpiece illustration to AA Milne's 'Wind on the Hill'

"...But if I stopped holding
The string of my kite,
It would blow with the wind
For a day and a night..." [Lot]



Winnie-the-Pooh -- Two Preparatory Sketches

"As soon as he got home, he went to the larder; and he stood on a
chair, and took down a very large jar of honey from the top shelf."

"These preparatory sketches reveal Shepard's typical working practice with the reverse of the leaf prepared with pencil rubbing for transfer of outlines. The images show some heavy pencil markings where Shepard has heavily pressed down on his pencil for the process. The images are early since the spelling of Hunny has not yet been adopted within the illustration." [Lot]



Winnie-the-Pooh Lived In A Forest All By Himself Under The Name Of Sanders.

"...Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders.
"What does 'under the name' mean?" asked Christopher Robin.
"It means he had the name over the door in gold letters, and lived under it..."

"This original illustration is reproduced on page 3 of Winnie-the-Pooh and therefore accompanies the chapter in which Winnie-the-Pooh is first introduced." [Lot]



Preparatory Sketch-Map for Endpapers Of Winnie-the-Pooh

Preparatory sketch-map for endpapers of Winnie the Pooh.

"This is a preparatory drawing for the sketch-map reproduced on the endpapers of Winnie-the-Pooh and therefore one of the most celebrated locations in children's literature. Although the geography was not revised, several captions were evidently changed. 'Eeyores Gloomy Place' was originally 'Eeyores Pasture Land' and the 'Floody Place' was originally captioned 'Floods Might Happen Here'. Shepard also poses the question 'What sort of House is Kangas?' at the top of the map. The caption at the foot originally appeared as 'Drawn by Me helped by Mr Shepard' and shows a process of revision to 'Drawn by Me and Mr Shepard helped'. It was printed as 'Drawn by Me and Mr Shepard helpd'." [Lot]



pooh tigger and piglet at a table

(A version of-) 'Tiggers don't like Honey'
Oval pencil drawing of Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger and Piglet sold on November 4, 2008 for £31200.


[click on any image - except the last - for a larger version]


All illustrations are by EH Shepard. {It is more probable than likely that they remain protected by copyright although I'm not sure I can determine just who (or which entity) owns those rights; nor am I sure what the extent of those rights might be. Suffice it to say that I accept that a variety of entities have a potential interest, and it is possible that this post may be removed if valid objections are raised. A wise man once told me that regions of universal harmony can be generated within the confluence of homage, fair use and free publicity, however. I'm banking on his having been sober at the time.}


These delightful illustrations are from the Sotheby's catalogue - click 'browse catalogue' - pertaining to the auction of forty two items, 'That sort of Bear': E.H. Shepard's Winnie-the-Pooh From the Collections of Stanley J Seeger and Christopher Cone, which will be held at New Bond Street in London on 17th December, 2008.

Ernest Howard Shepard (1879-1976) was born in London and encouraged to draw from a young age by his artist mother. He won a scholarship to the Royal Academy at the age of eighteen.

In the early years of the 20th century Shepard achieved some success with illustrated editions of Dickens and Aesop's fables. By 1907, Punch Magazine had accepted some of his drawings for publication although he wasn't a permanent Punch employee until 1921. He would remain there for more than thirty years.

In WWI, Shepard earned a Military Cross for bravery during service with the Royal Artillery in France and Belgium but he continued to sketch humorous vignettes which he submitted to Punch. In the 1920s, he was introduced to Alan (AA) Milne who reluctantly commissioned Shepard to do some line drawings for a children's book he had written. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Shepard and Milne were never particularly close but their collaboration on the four books - 'When We Were Very Young' (1924); 'Winnie the Pooh' (1926); 'Now We Are Six' (1927) and 'The House at Pooh Corner' (1928) - ensured that their names would be associated for eternity. Characters included Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit and Kanga.

The character of Winnie the Pooh was based on Milne's son's (Christopher) teddy bear, but the drawings were inspired by a toy bear named Growler, belonging to Shepard's own son. Growler would be mauled to death by a neighbour's dog, but Christopher's bear (and other stuffed Winnie the Pooh animals) circuitously made their way to the New York Public Library where I believe they still live. Late in life, Shepard was said to have voiced some resentment that the "silly old bear" had overshadowed his other illustration work, but he had expressed his fondness for the characters on many more occasions, so this phrase may have been more affectionate than has been reported*.

Although he pursued book and magazine illustration all through his life, Shepard's most notable work, beyond the AA Milne quartet, were the line drawings he produced for Kenneth Grahame's 'The Wind in the Willows', published in 1931.

I have taken the liberty of cleaning up all the images above (except for the map) which may have included removing some original ink splatters and charcoal or pencil smudging. Nothing too drastic, but they look better this way. I was surprised to find myself smiling often during the process. These simple line drawings retain an innocent magic about them and bring back fond childhood memories. There are a couple more drawings in the flickr set not seen above.

28 comments :

Unknown said...

this is absolutely beautiful... thanks for finding... thanks for sharing

Martin Klasch said...

Love it. Thanks, peacay!

4ojos said...

great post. Fantastic ilustrator

Rachel said...

Thank you for posting these. As the mother of a young baby, I am often overwhelmed by the commercialized versions of Pooh and others. It's so nice to be reminded of the real Pooh.

-theorist
-fadetheory.com
-littlerinch.com

Karla said...

I quite agree with Rachel. It's great to be reminded of the real illustrations.

The funny thing is, I had forgotten (if I had ever noticed) that E. H. Shepard had been the illustrator for the Pooh books but I do remember that by the age of ten or eleven I was well aware of him as the illustrator of lots of other books I liked. I guess now I could search for them by searching on Shepard!

Cory Gross said...

Aww, I adore classic Pooh. Thank you very much for posting these!

Anonymous said...

thank you for this wonderful post. your blog is always a pleasure to read.

J M said...

peacay, I can't keep up with so much good stuff in your blog!!!!!

Curious Art said...

Wonderful to see these... I loved those books so much, & I'd never seen the pencils.


I've tagged you on my blog. Hope you don't mind.

http://leahpalmerpreisscuriousart.blogspot.com/2008/12/show-tell.html

zero hour said...

shear beauty. in their simplicity, such a rich
work !

Tom Dougherty said...

Thank you so much for posting these. So charming and sincere. Not a stripe of the modern cynicism about them.

Debra said...

sah-weet!
grins,
debra

Anonymous said...

I'd missed these and am so delighted to find them. I have a very early edition of "The House at Pooh Corner" and it's a treasure that I often go back to ... and laugh like an idiot!

GeoNeo said...

I absolutely love Shepard. He was a great man, and an inspiring illustrator. It's always nice to see his work. Thanks for posting it.

Geo.

Anonymous said...

da best pooh drawings ive seen (well exept for da actual drawings) LOvE iT >_^

Eva said...

I pulled a larger version of that last oval sketch when it was up for auction. Email me (valleyviolet is my gmail account) and I'll send it to you if you'd like to incorporate it in your article. :)

Thanks for the great collection of images!

peacay said...

Thanks Eva!

A slightly larger version of 'Tiggers don't like honey' has replaced the original above.

Unknown said...

Thanks. Revisiting old friends today with my grand children.
Beautiful!

Steve Rawcliffe said...

Great to see the real Winnie the Pooh, not the disneyfied one!

TifferG said...

It's a great pleasure to see the original drawings in the e-book I downloaded for my Kindle recently :-)

Unknown said...

Precious...

cowango said...

Such a pleasure to be caught up on these drawings and EH Shepard. I bought a 1946 edition of When We Were Very Young yesterday and am again enthrall with Shepard's illustrations. Thanks for giving a little background and more information.

Anonymous said...

I love this post...brought back some wonderful memories! I have a collection of books and prints and I'm not going to stop collecting. Wonderful wonderful stuff! Thank you!

Unknown said...

hiya, sorry but i didnt know who to ask. I have an original drawing of eeyore in a scene an others in background, it says: my tails getting cold, expedition to the n. Pole, page 123 chapter viii, ernest h. Shepard. It is still in the frame i got it in years ago (about 1986 give or take) and hasnt been taken out.

Sorry to bother you but ive seen some go for alot of money, do you have any idea how much its worth or where i should take it? Thank you :-)

peacay said...

Hi Leopold. Short answer: no idea whatsoever. I/this blog is more concerned generally with the visual aspects of images. You would do well to trawl through the Christies/Sotheby's archives to get some basic hint as to ballpark range, but I would imagine you need to get some sort of certificate of authenticity and that process might provide a value range. Those auction houses might have some advice articles or the like. Sorry, that's about as far as my thoughts, bereft though they may be, go. Good luck!

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting the Originals... they are so sweet and adorable! I grew up with the originals thanks to my mother who still had her old book from the Fifties.. and only later saw the disneyfied Pooh, Piglet and all the bunch of them... and was shocked about these grotesque figures.
When my Son was born, the old books were re-published, so my son also grew up with the originals. :-) A warm "Tiddely Pom" from Germany! Caroline

The Sewing Croft said...

I love winnie the pooh! and like others, I much prefer the 'real' pooh bear illustrations. I have several myself and was delighted to find more I had not seen! The links you have left are very useful and will be investigating more! Thanks so much for this blog post.

Kit+Cy said...

Pooh's 90 years old today. Thanks for these fantastic sketches.

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