Punch's Almanack for 1924. PUNCH.

WINNIE THE POOH'S DEBUT

Punch's Almanack for 1924. Vol. CLXVI. January-June 1924.

Colour and black and white illustrations throughout.

4to. [281 x 215 x 38 mm]. [19]ff, 708pp. Bound in the original publisher's red cloth, the cover blocked with a blind fillet border, an arabesque panel in black and the figure of Mr. Punch in gilt, the rear cover with the border and panel in blind. The spine lettered and blocked in gilt with Mr Punch and a seated dog in a feathered hat, plain endleaves, top edge gilt. (Joints slightly rubbed). In a blue cloth slipcase with a black morocco label lettered in gilt.

London: published at the Office, 10 Bouverie Street, E.C.4, 1924

A near fine copy, with the signature of John Campbell, dated May 1972.

A volume famous for the first appearance in print of verses from A. A. Milne's When We Were Very Young, accompanied by Ernest H. Shepard's illustrations, including the character debut of "Edward Bear", who on 24th December 1925 was renamed as Winnie the Pooh.

11 of the verses and illustrations from When We Were Very Young were first published in these issues of Punch:

1. Puppy and I. (p.65 - 16 January 1924).

2. the King's Breakfast (p.103 - 30 January).

3. Teddy Bear (p.157 - 13 February).

4. Nursey Chairs (p.213 - 27 February).

5. Lines and Squares (p.271 - 12 March).

6. Market Square (p.329 - 26 March).

7. Little Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue (p.413 - 16 April).

8. The Three Foxes (p.467 - 30 April).

9. Jonathan Jo (p.563 - 21 May).

10. Missing (p.605 - 4 June).

11. Happiness (p.661 - 18 June).

At a Punch dinner in the autumn of 1923, E. V. Lucas, the Chairman of the publisher Methuen, approached E. H. Shepard and asked if he would be interested in illustrating "some charming poems for children sent to us by A. A. Milne". Milne later confessed that at the time he had a low opinion of Shepard's work, and regularly questioned the Art Editor's judgement - "What on earth do you see in this man? He's perfectly hopeless". There was also scepticism about the proposed arrangement of line drawings being set around the text. As it turned out all parties, and the public, were delighted, and Lucas commissioned Shepard to illustrate his own book of verse Playtime and Company. When We Were Very Young was published by Methuen on 6th November 1924. Intriguingly, Edward Bear, who became Winnie the Pooh, may have made a partial appearance in Shepard's illustration published in <i>Punch<n> on 6th February (p.128), a week before his debut in "Teddy Bear".

Stock no. ebc9336