Jim Hill
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So why did this pseudo-crisis - this tempest in a honey pot, if you will - suddenly run out of gas? Well, it seems that the staff of the Public Library did some research concerning the real history behind Pooh’s prolonged stay in NYC. They then made Dunwoody and her staff aware of the following facts:
1) The urban legend that had sprung up surrounding this matter - that Pooh had been illegally detained in New York by the staff of E.P. Dutton’s publishing company for decades following the 1947 publicity tour - turned out to be just that. A legend.
The truth of the matter is that "Pooh" author A.A. Milne - following the infamous U.S. publicity tour - actually presented the original Winnie the Pooh dolls to former Dutton publishing president Elliot Macrae as a gift. Nine years later, Macrae then gifted these very same toys to the Dutton Publishing Company.
This move made the real Winnie the Pooh & pals the official property of the E.P. Dutton Company - to do with as they pleased. That meant that the publishing company was well within its rights when it presented these beloved toys to the New York Public Library to put on permanent display in their childrens collection in 1987.
2) Though Dunwoody and her staff had claimed that Pooh & pals had been illegally detained in the United States for over 50 years, that wasn’t quite the case. As it turns out, the real Winnie the Pooh had actually made two return trips to the U.K. already. One in 1969, where the real Pooh and friends had taken part in a temporary exhibit designed to honor Ernest H. Shepard (the artist who created the original illustrations for Milne’s "Winnie the Pooh" books) on the occasion of the illustrious illustrator’s 90th birthday. Seven years later, the real Edward Bear and his buddies made a second trip to England to help Metheun Publishing Co. celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of the very first "Winnie the Pooh" book.
And finally …
3) There is actually very good reason to believe that the Winnie the Pooh that’s currently locked behind bullet proof glass in NYC isn’t actually the real Pooh. Or - rather - this bear, while it may have been owned and loved by the real Christopher Robin Milne back in the 1920s, didn’t serve as the model for the drawings that Ernest H. Shepard created to illustrate Milne’s "Pooh" books.
The story - as I understand it - goes something like this: Shepard didn’t think that Milne’s son’s teddy bear was all that attractive. That’s why he allegedly opted not to use the real Pooh as the model for the book’s illustrations, but - rather - opted to borrow the teddy bear owned by his own son, Graham, instead.
So where the proof of this bizarre claim? Take a gander at the teddy bear that the New York Public Library currently has display. Notice how svelte he is. Now take another look at the illustrations that Shepard created for Milne’s books and note what a porker Pooh is. Is it really such a surprise to learn that Graham Shepard’s teddy bear -- This bear - reportedly called Growler - supposedly had the same pudgy physique that Pooh eventually became famous for?
In an interesting twist on this already convoluted tale, Graham Shepard’s Growler reportedly went up for auction a few years back. An anonymous bidder snatched up the model for Ernest Shepard’s Winnie the Pooh illustrations for a mere $6500. Beyond that … All that’s known about this anonymous bidder is that he was a well moneyed gentleman who lives in Great Britain.
It was this last bit of info - that proved to Dunwoody that the really-for-real Winnie the Pooh apparently never left British soil - that convinced this minister of Parliament to abandon her quest to bring the "Pooh Five" back home.
So - at least for the time being - Pooh & pals are safely ensconced in the Donnell Library Center of the New York Public Library. Those who wish to take a look at this beloved bear are encouraged to climb aboard the building’s imfamously balky elevator to make the trek to the second floor.
There, you’ll find the real Pooh and his friends in a large glass case to the immediate right of the elevator. Since the toys receive regular care by conservation professionals, Edward Bear & Co. are in surprisingly good shape for playthings that are over 80 years old now.
Still, it’s pretty obvious that Pooh and the friends have all been severely loved over the past eight decades. As evidence of all those years of wear and tear, Winnie the Pooh now has two different colored eyes. Attempts have also obviously been made to patch up Eeyore’s hide (FYI: Eeyore’s tail really is held in place with a pin) as well as repair Kanga’s neck.
Still - no matter what shape these toys are in (or that somewhat uneasy feeling you get from seeing this most British of bears trapped behind bullet proof glass) - there’s still something magical about being in the presence of such celebrated literary figures. That’s the real Winnie the Pooh (Or not. Depending on whether you buy into the Growler story … ) there on the other side of the glass. The face that launched a billion pieces of Disney plush.
Speaking of merchandise, the Donnell Library Center actually has a small selection of commemorative Winnie the Pooh items up for sale. These include postcards of the real Pooh and friends ( $.65 each) as well as buttons ($1.95), posters (One for $3.50, $6.00 for the complete set) and notecards ($9.95 for a box full).
The nearest Disney Store - the elegant three story flagship of Disney’s retail chain, located at the corner of 5th Avenue and 55th Street - has also begun selling t-shirts that say "Winnie the Pooh - NYC." Though - to be honest - the image on these shirts is the Disney authorized Pooh, which - at least these days - looks nothing like the Ernest Shepard original.
It’s also worth noting that - while nothing official has been announced yet - October 8, 2001 does mark the 75th anniversary of the publication of the first "Winnie the Pooh" book in the United States. So chances are very good that something extraordinary might be happening in NYC on that date in honor of Pooh’s big anniversary. So that date in October might be a great time to drop by the Donnell Library Center to see what’s going on with Pooh & pals.
The Donnell Library Center of the New York Public Library is located at 20 West 53rd Street, right across the street from NYC’s famed Museum of Modern Art. This branch of the library is typically open seven days a week (holidays excluded, of course), though operating hours for this facility vary from day to day.
To avoid disappointment, plan ahead. Make sure that the real Winnie the Pooh & his friends will be available to receive visitors on the day you want to drop by by calling the main information desk at the Donnell Library Center at (212) 621-0618 or the Central Childrens’ Collection room itself at (212) 621-0636.
Related Links
- Part One of this article
- Pooh Corner: A History of Winnie the Pooh
- CNN Story on the fight for Pooh
- Associated Press Story on the fight for Pooh
Discuss It
-- Jim Hill
Jim Hill can be reached using the Talkback form below or by emailing him at [email protected].
Jim Hill is this guy who lives 'way out in the woods of New Hampshire. (Hey, it's not like he wants to live there. But the Witness Protection Program has got rules, you know.) He has one beautiful daughter and three obnoxious cats. When he's not looking for real work, Jim writes about the Walt Disney Company and related matters for LaughingPlace.com, AmusementPark.com, "Orlando Weekly" and Digital Media FX.
The opinions expressed by Jim Hill, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the past decisions and future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted May 3, 2001