Past Exhibitions
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Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic
June 3–September 2, 2018
The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh—a much-loved bear with a weakness for honey—have delighted both children and adults for more than ninety years. Generations of readers have been captivated by the adventures of Christopher Robin and his bear, and today Pooh remains one of the most popular children’s characters of all time.
Pooh and his companions Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo were created by the writer A. A. Milne and illustrator E. H. Shepard. Their partnership combined Milne’s humorous wordplay with Shepard’s expressive drawings to create an extremely successful style of storytelling. Since Pooh first bumped down the stairs in 1926, millions of copies of Milne’s books have sold, and the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood have found a home in the collective imagination of readers worldwide.
This exhibition, organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, explores the history and legacy of Pooh through original sketches, photographs, memorabilia, and letters. The exhibition also includes interactive elements that bring Shepard’s illustrations to life.
Winnie-the-Pooh Musical at the Alliance
Concurrently with the exhibition, the Alliance Theatre at The Woodruff Arts Center will present “Winnie-the-Pooh” (June 7–July 8, 2018), a musical based on Milne’s beloved stories. This collaboration is the High and the Alliance’s fourth in a series of exhibition and theatre productions based on the work of children’s book authors and artists.
Selected Images
Click on an image below to learn more.
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Bump, bump, bump, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 1, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1926.Bump, bump, bump, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 1, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1926.© The Shepard Trust
At the beginning of Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin drags his teddy downstairs to ask his father for a bedtime story. He explains that Pooh, also known as Edward Bear, likes stories about himself because he’s “that sort of Bear,” so Milne recounts one of their many adventures in the forest. When the story is finished, the staircase symbolizes a return to the real world—to bath time and bed.
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The bees are getting suspicious, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 1, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1926.The bees are getting suspicious, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 1, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1926.© The Shepard Trust
Winnie-the-Pooh’s favorite food is honey. When Pooh hears a loud buzzing-noise coming from the top of a large oak tree, he decides to take a closer look. He climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs, when Crack!—the branch breaks. But there is more than one way to reach the top of the tree. If he had a balloon, perhaps he could drift up and fool the bees into thinking he’s a cloud, floating in the blue …
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Pooh and Piglet go hunting, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 3, pen-and-ink sketch by E. H. Shepard, 1926. From the collection of Clive and Alison Beecham.Pooh and Piglet go hunting, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 3, pen-and-ink sketch by E. H. Shepard, 1926. From the collection of Clive and Alison Beecham.© The Shepard Trust
Shepard combined lively pen work with a confident use of white space. This illustration of Pooh and Piglet’s Woozle hunt is unusual for its lack of background detail. Shepard’s design draws our attention to Milne’s narrative of the two friends’ roundabout wanderings.
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For a long time they looked at the river beneath them, from The House at Pooh Corner, chapter 6, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1928. Collection of James DuBose.For a long time they looked at the river beneath them, from The House at Pooh Corner, chapter 6, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1928. Collection of James DuBose.© The Shepard Trust
In this tranquil scene, Shepard envisaged the setting Milne describes in the story: “… the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river … being grown-up, it did not run and jump … but moved more slowly.”
At the same time, Shepard encapsulated the nub of the story and its theme of friendship. He was known for depicting suspended animation and did so subtly here. Christopher’s shoe slips off his heel, while Pooh stands on tiptoe, leaning over to watch the current. Piglet holds onto him nervously—he’s too short for the protective railing.
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And pulled and pulled at his boot.… The first person he met was Rabbit, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 8, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1926.And pulled and pulled at his boot.… The first person he met was Rabbit, from Winnie-the-Pooh, chapter 8, pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, 1926.© The Shepard Trust. Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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Proof of Pooh sitting on his branch … beside him, ten pots of honey, 1970 Line-block print, hand-colored by E. H. Shepard, 1970.Proof of Pooh sitting on his branch … beside him, ten pots of honey, 1970 Line-block print, hand-colored by E. H. Shepard, 1970.© Egmont UK Ltd, reproduced with permission from the Shepard Trust
In 1970, Frank Herrmann decided to add color to Shepard’s original black-and-white illustrations. By then, Shepard was in his 90s, and his eyesight was failing, so he made watercolor washes on specially enlarged printed versions of his originals.
The coloring obliterates some of Shepard’s pen work but adds additional details, such as springtime flowers. Shepard previously had varied the color of Pooh’s jacket, making it blue, but during the Disney era he gave Pooh his now-familiar yellow coloring and red jacket.
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Winnie-the-Pooh first edition, 1926, published in London by Methuen & Co. Ltd., printed by Jarrold & Sons Ltd.Winnie-the-Pooh first edition, 1926, published in London by Methuen & Co. Ltd., printed by Jarrold & Sons Ltd.© Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Winnie-the-Pooh, first published in 1926, was an immediate publishing sensation. Milne’s publisher, Methuen, issued 35,000 copies of the first edition—far more than the standard 5,000-copy printing. This success prompted the publishers to make copper electrotypes of the page settings, extending their life. These helped preserve the line blocks because they were stronger and could be remade when worn.
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Teddy Bear manufactured by Margarete Steiff, ca. 1906–1910. Stuffed and sewn mohair plush. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, bequeathed by Miss Z. N. Ziegler.Teddy Bear manufactured by Margarete Steiff, ca. 1906–1910. Stuffed and sewn mohair plush. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, bequeathed by Miss Z. N. Ziegler.© Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
E. H. Shepard based his sketches of Pooh on toy bears owned by Christopher Robin Milne and his own son, Graham Shepard. This Steiff teddy is similar to Growler, Graham’s bear.
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Winnie the Pooh sake cups, porcelain, made by Hasami for the Walt Disney Corporation, ca. 2014.Winnie the Pooh sake cups, porcelain, made by Hasami for the Walt Disney Corporation, ca. 2014.© Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Winnie-the-Pooh is a world-famous bear, known by many different names across the globe. In the over 90 years since he was first introduced in 1924, his fame has spread internationally through the publication of foreign-language editions and varied merchandise, such as these Japanese sake cups.
Winnie-the-Pooh was the result of a fruitful collaboration between author A. A. Milne (British, 1882–1956) and illustrator E. H. Shepard (British, 1879–1976). Both Milne and Shepard had well-established careers by the time they started their partnership in the mid-1920s and had been introduced through Punch, a popular magazine that poked fun at politicians and British society through cartoons and humorous articles.
Milne began writing in earnest as an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1906 became assistant editor of Punch. By the mid-1920s, he was an accomplished writer of humorous verse, social satire, fairytales, and plays, and had even published a murder-mystery novel.
In 1920, when Milne became a father, he turned to the nursery and his own childhood for inspiration. His first collection of children’s verses, When We Were Very Young, was an immediate bestseller. The publication of Winnie-the-Pooh two years later assured Milne his legacy as “laureate of the nursery.”
Shepard was also a regular contributor to Punch starting in 1906, and he sent sketches from the frontline during the First World War. In autumn 1923, an associate at Punch invited Shepard to illustrate Milne’s children’s verses. Shepard’s drawings perfectly complemented Milne’s humor. His style—in particular, his economy of line, lively detail, and sense of movement—was well suited to the text. Following the overwhelming success of When We Were Very Young, Milne insisted Shepard illustrate some new stories about a bear named Winnie-the-Pooh.
Pooh Goes to Print
Pooh was first presented to the public in previews of Milne’s verses and stories, which appeared in magazines in the UK and United States beginning in January 1923. Magazines like Punch had a wide readership, so by the time the verses and stories were published in book form, they were already well known. When We Were Very Young (1924), Winnie-The-Pooh (1926), Now We Are Six (1927), and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) became known collectively as the Christopher Robin books. By 1928, they had already earned “a unique place in nursery literature.”
© Egmont UK Ltd
Below, learn about some of the milestones in Pooh publication history.
“The Dormouse and the Doctor,” The Merry-Go-Round, November 1923
Milne wrote “The Dormouse and the Doctor” for a new children’s magazine, The Merry-Go- Round. It was illustrated by Harry Rountree, who specialized in anthropomorphic animals. The magazine editor, Rose Fyleman, especially liked the verse and advised Milne to write an entire book of children’s verses.
“Teddy Bear,” Punch, February 13, 1924
Milne’s verses appeared regularly in Punch from January to June 1924. “Teddy Bear” introduced the bear who would become known as Winnie-the-Pooh. Shepard added to the humor in his illustrations: though “proud of being short and stout,” the bear scrutinizes an advert for “THINNING BATH SALTS.”
“Winnie-the-Pooh,” The Evening News, December 24, 1925
The Evening News printed Milne’s first Pooh story, “Winnie-the-Pooh and some Bees,” on Christmas Eve, 1925. It was illustrated by Punch artist J. H. Dowd, whose scruffy little boy perfectly embodied the adventurous spirit of childhood.
“Waiting at the Window,” The Royal Magazine, September 1927
Verses from Now We Are Six appeared in the American Harper’s Magazine from early 1926 and in the UK’s Royal Magazine from early 1927. Even when not mentioned in the text, Pooh and his friends “sat down on some of the pages by mistake”—an ingenious marketing ploy.
“The House at Pooh Corner,” The Evening News, December 23, 1926
A year after it introduced a bear called Winnie-the-Pooh, The Evening News announced a new story, “The House at Pooh Corner.” Although Shepard’s name was already inextricably linked to Milne’s, the paper once again commissioned J. H. Dowd for the illustrations.
“Tigger Comes to the Forest,” Sails of Gold, New York, 1927
Lady Asquith’s children’s anthology, Sails of Gold, featured a newcomer to the forest: Tigger. Like Shepard, A. H. Watson captures Tigger’s boisterous energy and enthusiasm, but she conjures a rather different setting: her trees are real, but the houses are pure make believe.
Related
VIDEO: Mama Koku's Pooh Storytelling,
VIDEO: Mama Koku's Pooh Storytelling
This exhibition is organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Support for the High’s presentation is provided by the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation.
This exhibition is made possible by
Premier Exhibition Series Partner
Exhibition Series Sponsors
Ambassador Exhibition Series Supporters
Tom and Susan Wardell
Contributing Exhibition Series Supporters
The Ron and Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust
Marcia and John Donnell
Robin and Hilton Howell
Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Jones
2018 Grandparents Circle of Support
Spring and Tom Asher, Anne Cox Chambers, Ann and Tom Cousins, Sandra and John Glover, Shearon and Taylor Glover, Sarah and Jim Kennedy, Jane and Hicks Lanier
Additional support provided by
Lucinda Bunnen, Lavona Currie, Peggy Foreman, Nena Griffith, Ellen and Tom Harbin, Margaretta Taylor
Generous support is also provided by
Alfred and Adele Davis Exhibition Endowment Fund, Anne Cox Chambers Exhibition Fund, Barbara Stewart Exhibition Fund, Marjorie and Carter Crittenden, Dorothy Smith Hopkins Exhibition Endowment Fund, Eleanor McDonald Storza Exhibition Endowment Fund, Forward Arts Foundation Exhibition Endowment Fund, Helen S. Lanier Endowment Fund, Howell Exhibition Fund, Isobel Anne Fraser–Nancy Fraser Parker Exhibition Endowment Fund, John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Exhibition Endowment Fund, and Massey Charitable Trust