On a trip to New York City several years ago, I somehow discovered that the original stuffed animals from the 100 Acre Wood were at the New York Public Library.
EEEEEKKK!!!
The very animals that inspired A. A. Milne to pen the beloved children's classic Winnie the Pooh stories were just around the corner from where I was!
Milne's only child, a boy they named Christopher Robin, owned these stuffed animals, and loved them as his best friends. According to Wikipedia: At his first birthday on 21 August 1921, Milne received an Alpha Farnell teddy bear, which he later named Edward. Eeyore was a Christmas present in 1921 and Piglet arrived undated. Edward, along with a real Canadian black bear named Winnipeg that Milne saw at London Zoo, eventually became the inspiration for the Winnie-the-Pooh character.
In the accompanying photo, you see Eeyore, Pooh, Tigger, Kanga, and Piglet. They have been on display in the New York Public Library in New York City since 1987, with the exception of Roo, who was lost in an apple orchard when Christopher Robin was 9 years old. According to the New York Public Library's web site, the items have been on display in the Children's Center at 42nd Street, in the "main branch" of the library since early 2009.
There was a bit of a row, however, in 1998 between Britain and the US. Milne was born in London, and Pooh and his friends become the center of international attention when a British Member of Parliament decided they should be returned to England. Thankfully, the United States and England agreed that Pooh and his pals were happy and healthy on American soil, and it was unanimously decided that they remain at The New York Public Library.
Eeyore is the largest, at 25", while Piglet is the smallest, at a wee 4.6".
Visit the New York Public Library's website for 10 Fun Facts About Winnie-the-Pooh.
Comments