A. A. Milne (1924-28)'Winnie-the-Pooh', first edition set with signed letter

Accompanied with the set is an original handwritten and signed letter by Milne to his lifetime friend Vincent Seligman, an American entrepreneur. Single page autographed letter signed, 5.5 x 7.5, on letterhead of Cotchford Farm, Hartfield, Sussex stationary. The content of the letter. We are here for another fortnight, so cannot lunch with you next week, much as we should like to meet your Americans.

Can we do it later; or could you bring them and yourself to lunch here? We should be delighted to you. They have dammed and slammed it, so thoroughly that I doubt if it will ever get (propsing) open now. For Heavens sake make all youre A (illegible) friends go at once, or it will be off.

Daff and I feel very sad about it, and an only consider the charming letters about it which we have had from friends and strangers. Never again but I say that every time. After the huge success of his Winnie The Pooh series of books, Milne attempts another three act play, The Ivory Door.

This somewhat jocular but irritated letter from Milne has him lamenting to his dear friend Vincent Seligman, exclaiming the critics have damned and slammed it. But his all too familiar dry humor still shows through suggesting Vincent has his friends all go at once before it will be off. The first book of the Pooh series was published in 1924 as When We Were Very Young, but it was not until the 1926 publication of Winnie The Pooh that Milne was launched into a literary superstar. The final book, The House At Pooh Corner, was published the year before this play as Milne began to meander back into other genres.

An important look at Milnes early attempts to remove himself from being known only as the author of childrens books and wishing to be acknowledged in the adult literary circle. The Pooh series would become both his legacy, but also his nemesis for the balance of his life. When We Were Very Young (1924), UK first edition, first printing, first state (WITHOUT the Roman numerals ix on the contents page) , published by Methuen. Blue cloth hardback in near fine condition in a very good dust jacket. The boards are remarkably well preserved. The embossing and gilding is NOT rubbed out, the boards are NOT scratched and NOT rubbed as often seen. No foxing, slight ghosting to endpapers as common. Top edge gilded as called for.

One of the best copies we have seen. There are no bookplates, no library stamps inside the book of any sorts, the text is clean, with no scribbles, and no children colouring inside as often encoutered.

The name Shepard is written in black ink on the upper corner of the ffep. We strongly suspect that this was done by Ernest Shepard himself, the illustrator, to mark ownership of this copy which he would not do with his signature used at official signings or as found in the limited editions. The handwriting certainly matches his found in preserved Shepard letters.

What seems to confirm this are the faded initials EHS found on the spine of the dustjacket just below A. Perhaps the illustrator felt that he deserved more credit for the publication even though he is credited on the front cover of the dust jacket.

The passage of time has certainly rendered Shepards illustrations of the Pooh oevre as essential to the stories themselves as it is unthinkable to imagine Winnie-the-Pooh without Shepards characteristic renditions. The dust jacket is the correct first state specimen and very good. The top front flap has absorbed a little of the ink used to pen Shepard on the ffep.

One of only 5,175 first edition copies of which this is the first state and much scarcer that the second state issue. The print run was stopped mid-way to correct the contents page, so the exact number of copies printed in the first state is unknown. However, some dealers have estimated about 1,500 which seems like a good guess given that the second state first edition outweighs the first state by a ratio of roughly 4:1. Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), UK first edition, first printing , published by Methuen (one of 30,000 copies).

Boards are clean without any bumps. The gilding on the front and spine is present without any rubbing and loss.

Top page block gilded as called for. No previous owners inscriptions of any sorts. Typical ghosting to the endpapers where the dust jacket flaps allowed circulation of a little air over the decades. The dust jacket is very nice, first state showing 117th thousand and priced 7/6 net as called for.

Slight discolouration (darkening) on the spine as common, a minor chip to the top spine and slight edge wear to top edge as shown on the pictures. Now We Are Six (1927), UK first edition, first printing , published by Methuen (one of 50,000 copies). Red boards have retained their original colour and are clean. Gilding is un-rubbed and unfaded. Slight shelf wear to corners. No previous owners scribbles of any sorts. No ghosting to endpapers, but to the half-title page where the dust jackets flap touched the paper. Very good dust jacket with typical darkening to the spine and minor edge wear to top as shown. The House at Pooh Corner (1928), UK first edition, first printing , published by Methuen (one of 75,000 copies). Salmon-pink coloured boards are a bit rubbed and the spine is slightly faded. Top page block gilded, ghosting to endpapers. Very good dust jacket which has darkening on the spine and minor chipping and edge wear to the top. Also, notice the small stain at the top of the rear panel. A very attractive set of one of the most loved children books of all time.

Highly collectable with such a beautiful letter. We have more pictures upon request! Milne (1924-28)'Winnie-the-Pooh', first edition set with signed letter" is in sale since Thursday, September 27, 2018. This item is in the category "Books, Comics & Magazines\Antiquarian & Collectable".

The seller is "firstandfine" and is located in Birmingham. This item can be shipped to all countries in Europe, all countries in continental Asia, United States, Canada.

• Year Printed: 1926
• Fiction Subject: Children
• Binding: Hardback
• Author: A. Milne
• Language: English
• Publisher: Methuen
• Special Attributes: 1st Edition