16 August 2018
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Winnie the Pooh map
An original 1926 Winnie-the-Pooh map, sketched by E.H. Shepard, has sold for a record £430,000.
An original 1926 Winnie-the-Pooh map, sketched by E.H. Shepard, has sold for a record £430,000. The illustrated map of The Hundred Acre Wood, which features in the opening pages of A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, introduced readers to the world of Christopher Robin and his friends.
The map fetched the highest sum of any book illustration sold at auction. Previously, the record was held by a drawing of Milne's characters playing Poohsticks, which sold for £314,500.
The auction comes amid an increased interest in illustrations from collectors, according to Sotheby's senior specialist Dr Errington
"They've never been brought out in the UK or the US with illustrations by anyone else apart from E.H. Shepard and that is the power, and ability of the illustrator, and why this is probably the most famous map in English literature," Dr Errington said.
As well as depicting the book's woodland world, the map also features Milne's much-loved characters including Eeyore, Winnie-The-Pooh and Christopher Robin.
The drawing is littered with misspelt locations, such as "nice for picnicks" and "100 aker wood", and the illustration is signed off with the words "Drawn by me and Mr Shepard helpd".
Four other original Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations were sold alongside the map, with the five drawings selling for a combined total of £917,500.