A.A. Milne’s Autograph Pre-Proof Manuscript for The Christopher Robin Birthday Book, Signed by A.A. Milne, Featuring Exceptionally Scarce Original Drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh and Eeyore in Milne’s Hand, Dated 3rd July 1930.
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A uniquely significant literary manuscript: A.A. Milne’s autograph pre-proof manuscript for The Christopher Robin Birthday Book, featuring his handwritten quotations from Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, alongside original drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh and Eeyore sketched by Milne himself. This is virtually unheard of in commerce as of course E.H. Shepard was the illustrator, but here one gets an intimate look into how A.A. Milne personally visualised his own characters.
This manuscript represents the earliest stage of The Christopher Robin Birthday Book as it was being prepared for publication. Written entirely in Milne’s hand, it was sent to his publisher, and likely also to E.H. Shepard for finalisation. At the beginning, Milne provides instructions regarding the book’s layout and typography, with a note reading, "Study this lay-out for general style, weight of type…" Inside, he quotes selected passages from his most celebrated works, Winnie the Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928).
Handwritten material from A.A. Milne relating to Winnie the Pooh is extraordinarily scarce. The vast majority of his working papers and autograph manuscripts are held in institutional collections, most notably the Wren Library at Trinity College, Cambridge. Very few examples of Milne’s handwritten Winnie the Pooh texts remain in private hands, making this a genuine extreme rarity. This is a truly museum worthy manuscript, representing the rarest of the rare in the world of A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh, and modern literature collecting.
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Size: 101 x 145 mm (approx.)
