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Creator
Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander), 1882-1956
Call number
Berg Coll MSS 188259
Physical description
.63 linear feet (3 boxes)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
A.A. Milne collection of page proofs, maquettes, and correspondence of and related to Now We Are Six and The House at Pooh Corner, Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library
Repository
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
Access to materials
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A.A. Milne (1882-1956) was an English writer best known for his children's stories and poems featuring the fictional teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. This collection, dating from 1927 to 1928, contains unbound page proofs and maquettes for the final two Winnie-the-Pooh books, Now We Are Six and The House at Pooh Corner, both published by Methuen & Co. and featuring illustrations by E.H. Shepard. There are also six letters from Milne and Shepard to publisher Frederick Muller at Methuen that reveal their collaborative process.

Biographical/historical information

Alan Alexander (A.A.) Milne (1882-1956) was an English writer best known for his children's stories and poems featuring the fictional teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. Milne named the character after a stuffed bear he purchased for his son, Christopher Robin Milne, who in turn inspired the character Christopher Robin. Christopher's other animal toys were also incorporated into Milne's books.

Milne's poem "Teddy Bear," published in Punch on February 13, 1924, marked the first appearance of Winnie-the-Pooh (then named Mr. Edward Bear). The poem was reprinted later that year in When We Were Very Young, Milne's first collection of poetry, published by Methuen & Co. and featuring illustrations by Ernest Howard (E.H.) Shepard. The book also included poems with Christopher Robin.

Three books featuring the Winnie-the-Pooh cast followed, all published by Methuen with Shepard's illustrations: two short story collections, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928); and another poetry collection, Now We Are Six (1927), that contained eleven Pooh poems. Milne and Shepard collaborated closely on the books, proposing alterations and making amendments by mail and in person. They shared the completed poems and stories with Frederick Muller, a publisher at Methuen, who was in correspondence with Milne and Shepard throughout the process.

Scope and arrangement

The collection, dating from 1927 to 1928, contains unbound printed page proofs and maquettes (drafts with hand-cut text and drawings) of A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard's final two Winnie-the-Pooh books, Now We Are Six and The House at Pooh Corner. There are also six letters from Milne and Shepard to publisher Frederick Muller at Methuen & Co. about changes to the books and the delivery of pages. The maquettes do not include Shepard's original illustrations, but rather printed copies that are pasted on the pages.

The proofs and maquettes feature Milne's corrections, annotations, and deletions in pencil. The maquettes in particular feature Milne's instructions for changes in the position of text and illustrations, as well as directions regarding lineation and pagination. The Now We Are Six maquettes contain Milne's own manuscript rendering of the book's preliminary pages, including his sketch of Christopher Robin on the title page that was ultimately unused in published editions; the final version by Shepard is included with a later page. The House at Pooh Corner maquettes similarly feature Milne's manuscript rendering of the preliminary pages.

Proofs for both books contain publisher stamps indicating pages that need revisions. The Now We Are Six stamps are dated from March 18 to August 17, 1927; the House at Pooh Corner stamps are dated July 14, 1928.

Correspondence for Now We Are Six consists of two letters from Milne and two from Shepard. Milne's letters regard the page count and order of poems, while Shepard's discuss his drawings for specific poems. Correspondence for The House at Pooh Corner consists of one letter from Milne and one from Shepard. Both letters discuss the delivery of proofs and illustrations to Muller, with Shepard's letter also touching on his recent move.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Purchased, 2025.

Processing information

Processed by Nathan Evans in 2025.

Using the collection

Location

Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Third Floor, Room 320