BS: Pooh!!!

Subject: BS: Pooh!!!
From: GUEST,beardedbruce
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 05:51 PM

Winnie-the-Pooh drawings fetch 1.26-mln-pounds at auction
      
1 hr 13 mins ago AFP – A collection of original illustrations of Winnie-the-Pooh and his animal friends by EH Shepard sold for 1.26 million pounds at auction in London on Wednesday, Sotheby's auction house said.

Included in the sale -- worth 1.95 million dollars, or 1.36 million euros -- was one of the most iconic images of the much-loved bear, "He went on tracking, and Piglet... ran after him", which went for more than double its low estimate.

The illustration, showing Pooh walking with Piglet by his side, leaving a trail of footprints behind them, sold for 115,250 pounds, far more than its pre-sale estimate of between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds.

It broke a previous record of 110,000 pounds for a drawing by Shephard, a Royal Academy-trained artist who died in 1976, and who also illustrated classic children's tale "The Wind in the Willows".

Another drawing, "Bump, bump, bump -- going up the stairs", sold for 97,250 pounds, almost double its pre-sale low estimate.

The auction also included limited edition and signed books by author AA Milne, and the first US edition presentation copy of Winnie-the-Pooh, dated 1926, which sold for 39,650 pounds against an estimate of 15,000-20,000 pounds.

Philip Errington, Sotheby's specialist in charge of children's books and original illustrations, said he was "delighted" at the results.

"The public have a strong affection for these drawings and we are thrilled that this significant collection has notably exceeded expectations," he said.

"The interest from around the world in these superb drawings, and the highly competitive bidding from many buyers, has demonstrated the worldwide appeal of Winnie-the-Pooh."

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 06:07 PM

I didn't get them? Oh, poo!

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Becca72
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 06:50 PM

No shit?

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 07:06 PM

I love those drawings.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Gurney
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 08:03 PM

How does someone that mad get all that money?

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 08:20 PM

Too much money can drive people mad. They start out quite sane, but the tremendous scope for self-indulgence and utter folly that the money offers them soon turns them into madmen, addicts or wastrels. Observe what has happened to many famous actors and rock stars, for example. Consider the case of Howard Hughes! He probably would have been perfectly all right if he'd grown up in an ordinary household with just enough money to get by, and a hardworking mother who didn't have all that extra time and energy to obsess about the big bad germs menacing her little boy.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 08:55 PM

I simply don't understand paying that kind of money. You can get the same drawings, along with the stories, at a book store.

I know what Eeyore would say if he heard about this. 'No brain at all, some of them. Just gray fluff blown there by mistake.'

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Beer
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 09:37 PM

Pooh was a great read for my grand son a few years back. Loved the stuff as my pal did.
Had to look around this morning to find enough change to have a coffee with my buddies.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 10:23 PM

Someone buys these things and sticks them in their house, away from the public, away from scholars, just for their own enjoyment and whatever thrill they can get from knowing that they own a rarity.

Buy the drawings and give them to a library or a museum so that others can enjoy them and study them. The librarian or the curator will probably spring for coffee and doughnuts every time you come in, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Paul Burke
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 03:34 AM

They want to hide them so the image of Pooh can be replaced by the utterly inferior Disney version. They gave Pooh a voice like a feeble old person, because they can't tell the difference between gentle and weak.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 04:07 AM

I was driving up through the Ashdown Forest on Monday morning and passed through Hartfield (near where A.A. Milne lived). There's a gift shop, been there for years, called - can you guess? Pooh Corner - which sells all the usual stuff you might expect from such a shop. Expensive crap, but at least they don't peddle the Disney version of the characters.

Many years ago, I was walking along the lane to the bridge which features as "pooh-sticks bridge" in the stories, and passed Milne's house. The owner was working in the front garden and we stopped to chat. Amazingly, he kindly showed us the back of the house and the view over the forest (and the swimming pool where Brian Jones drowned). An interesting afternoon. He offered us a cup of tea but we didn't want to overstay our welcome and declined. Something to talk about as we floated our sticks under the bridge a little later that afternoon...

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 05:25 AM

Christopher Robin grew up and ended his days running a bookshop in beautiful Dartmouth, until fairly recently, He died just a few years back.

Christopher Robin's Bookshop

My house is full of Pooh.

:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 05:32 AM

And...I don't mean to get grumpy, but..

Can we have our Pooh back, please?


..and his friends too.

Tell us what you'd like in exchange and I'll see if I can arrange it. ;0)

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 05:32 AM

My youngest sister (now living in Tucson) used to work in Chris Milne's shop in the late 60s. He was a good employer but, at that time, hated to be reminded of the Christopher Robin connection as, apparently, it had caused him many moments of ragging and misery at school.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 05:54 AM

It's still a lovely bookshop, Will, and still very popular. I think there's another branch in Kingsbridge too, not sure whether he owned that one, or if it's come with the new owners.

I envy your sister working there, in that beautiful, beautiful town, and just a stone's throw from the River Dart too. I could happily die there, sitting on the embankment of the river, just watching the boats, the ships, the life. Gorgeous way to go.

I've Chris's autograph somewhere around, as every now and then he'd sign bookmarks which they'd keep by the till for sale at a small amount. It must have been strange too, running a shop that sold many books with yourself in, as a little boy. And yes, I can understand why he strove to leave 'little Christopher' behind after years of misery.

One of the most beautiful towns in England, in my view:
Dartmouth

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 06:12 AM

Dartmouth does look nice. I've only been to one or two places in Devon, such as Axminster and Salcombe. Does Simon Drew of funny T-shirt fame have his business in Dartmouth?

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 06:42 AM

Yup, and he's as wild and whacky as the things he creates!

Simon Drew

It's in the most lovely of Dartmouth's little back streets..

Come down to The West Country and explore our treasures, Will.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 06:53 AM

"Someone buys these things and sticks them in their house, away from the public, away from scholars, just for their own enjoyment and whatever thrill they can get from knowing that they own a rarity.

Buy the drawings and give them to a library or a museum so that others can enjoy them and study them. The librarian or the curator will probably spring for coffee and doughnuts every time you come in, too."


I don't know how many of the drawings were sold, but the V&A in London already owns an awful lot of them. I don't know if it's still possible to do this, but some years ago I went to the museum and asked where the original Pooh drawings were, because some postcards I'd bought said that the copyright was owned by the V&A. The guard directed me to a room upstairs that wes like a reference library. I filled out a form with my name and why i wanted to see them....and they brought out a box. In it were dozens of the original illustrations, which I was left to go through at my leisure. I was completely gobsmacked by this - I'd expected to go and see some framed pictures in a gallery. Then the lady said that if I wanted to take any photographs, I just had to fill out another form for each one, undertaking not to publish the picture.

This was pre-internet days, so I don't know if they allow such free access to the drawings now. But perhaps it's some comfort to know that many of the drawings are still in public ownership, even if they're not on regular display.


An old friend of mine seved in the same regiment during the war as Christopher Robin Milne. When he spotted "CR Milne" on the trunk next to the bed and his eyes widened, Christopher Robin reportedly said, "Tell anyone and I'll fucking kill you."

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 10:30 AM

At dire risk of thread drift, I have always preferred the 'Rackham' illustrations to 'The Wind in the Willows' rather than the 'Shephard' ones.

One of my more polite nicknames, and the one I cherish most, is "Brynnie-the-Pugh".

I'll get my Barbour . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 11:48 AM

And there he goes...stump stump stump...

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 08:11 PM

How did the original Pooh and friends get to end up in New York?

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 08:18 PM

they were sold to the New York Public Library ages ago.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 08:26 PM

I lied: Apparently "In the late 1940's, Mr. Milne gave the toys to the American publisher of the Pooh books. After being used in several promotional tours, the dolls wound up on display in the offices of the publisher, E. P. Dutton." In 1987, the publishers donated them to the library.

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 04:46 PM

Awwww!! :( they should be here!

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: paula t
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 05:22 AM

Ah ,Winnie The Pooh,

Kathryn loved that little bear - so much so that she asked for a "Winnie The Pooh bedroom". I obliged - going over the top with a painted landscape and a ceiling of sky and clouds. Winnie the Pooh characters adorned the walls.
She has now asked if her room can be redecorated (In dark chocolate and teal -very sophisticated!) but has said she doesn't want to be in the room when I paint over the walls because it will make her sad.A major landmark I think( for both of us).

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 08:24 AM

Sue, that opens up a whole Elgin marble-shaped can of worms!

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 01:36 PM

Ruth - errr, it does?! why?

Paula - awww...and I hope you used the original depiction of Pooh (and not the Disneyfied one)?

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 01:55 PM

just thinking that England has a few cultural treasures in its possession that other countries would rather like to have back... :)

Subject: RE: BS: Pooh!!!
From: Riginslinger
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 09:36 PM

Milne left the world a much better place for having been here.