Milne, A.A. (1928) ‘The House at Pooh Corner’, UK first edition with handwritten and signed letter

Alan Alexander Milne (1928) ‘The House at Pooh Corner‘, UK first edition, first printing, published by Methuen. Together with a letter, handwritten and signed by A.A. Milne.

Condition of the book: near fine. The boards have retained their original salmon pink colour, no previous owners’ inscriptions, no stamps, no bookplates. Internally clean pages. No ghosting to endpaper as often seen. Only flaw are a few tiny stains to endpapers. The dust jacket is a beauty with the colour on the spine being the same as on the panels and flaps (no fading). A few creases at edges, no tears, no chipping and no loss. A beutiful specimen.

The single page autographed letter signed: 4.5″ x 6″. On letterhead annotated by Milne with “Not at”, 11 Mallord Street, Chelsea, S.W.3. Dated “12.x. 46” (October 12, 1946), and signed by Milne as “Ever Blue”. Fine condition.

Milne writes to his longtime friend, Vincent Seligman who he refers to as “Vi”. Dated 1946, A.A. Milne is now a celebrity having created one of the most recognized and loveable children’s book series, the adventures of Christopher Robin and the honey loving bear with little brain, Winnie The Pooh. This loveable cast of characters began in 1924, more than 20 years before this letter was written, and although Milne continued to write and was determined to bust out of his expected mold of writing Children’s books, it had been a daunting challenge. In the 1930s and ’40s, A.A. Milne returned to writing for adults, publishing novels, short-story collections but his readership was unwilling to let him explore his writing styles. (Somewhat akin to wanting to move on but your global hit exerts all the gravity of a planet and you are trapped in its orbit, or a writer swallowed up by his own creation.)

In this delightful letter we see Milne expressing his dry humor, referring to writing as “work”, and clearly venting in his jocular style of “Work be Damned, I’ll listen to my Decca”. (Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929, the second largest record label in the world, calling itself “The Supreme Record Company”)

His letter is shown in full below:

“Dear Vi,

It has come!

Every morning, thanks to Kirkby, finds me gaily saying “Work be Damned. I’ll listen to my Decca.” Gladly will I xxx [cut?] a cheque – a small return for all the trouble which procured my Decca (Double).

Only you must first let me know how much And could it include a small something for Kirk?

There is a house a mile from here for sale, which Daft thinks might (illegible) you. Come and see it any Sunday.

Ever Blue”

Milne signs using his nickname of Blue, a name given to him by his son, Christopher Robin, a long time ago.