A. A. Milne Inscribed Pooh Books Lead Gorringe's Auction
The copy of Winnie-the-Pooh inscribed by Milne on the front free endpaper
The Pickwick Papers, A. A. Milne's Pooh books, Jonathan Swift, and Samuel Johnson's Dictionary will all go under the hammer at Gorringe’s next month.
The first edition highlights in September 21 Books and Manuscripts sale include the four Pooh books (When We Were Very Young; Winnie-the-Pooh; Now We Are Six; and The House at Pooh Corner) by A.A. Milne and published by Methuen & Co Ltd 1924-28. They are all signed by AA Milne, the copy of Winnie the Pooh inscribed by Milne on the front free endpaper “This book belongs to Charles Wilson, A.A. Milne.” They are presented in custom made later dark blue Morocco slipcase box with gilt ruled sides, panelled spine with gilt lettering and each volume individually cased in matching blue cloth covers (estimate: £12,000-£15,000)
Also included in the sale are:
- Gulliver’s Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World by Jonathan Swift, the first edition in four parts in full late 19th century polished red Morocco, with gilt lettering to spines, raised bands, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt and endpapers renewed (estimate: £2,000-£3,000)
- Charles Dickens's The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, first edition (Chapman and Hall 1837,) in the original 19/20 parts, mixed issues, with 43 engraved plates by Robert Seymour, R.W. Buss, and Hablot K. Browne, with the original printed wrappers, preserved in a custom red morocco drop-back box (estimate: £2,000-£3,000)
- A Dictionary of the English Language... by Samuel Johnson, 1755 first edition in two volumes, with engraved bookplate to front pastedowns, dated 1882, of Herbert Arthur Evans (1846–1923), author and Shakespeare scholar (estimate: £2,000-£3,000)
