Autograph Letter Signed, To Ernest H. Shepard. Milne, A. A.

Autograph letter signed from A. A. Milne to E. H. Shepard discussing the progress of the latest Pooh book and a potential collaboration on a volume of Mother Goose rhymes. Letters between Milne and Shepard are very seldom seen in commerce; most were retained by Shepard until his death and bequeathed by his widow to the V&A. Milne begins, "Dear Shepard, I enclose the latest Pooh. I saw the drawings of the first two at Methuens yesterday, and loved them". Milne is referring to Winnie-the-Pooh, which was in production during the first half of 1926 and published on 14 October that year. It appears that Shepard was illustrating individual chapters as Milne wrote them, here having completed drawings for two chapters and awaiting more text. Milne goes on to discuss the planned Mother Goose (which would not be completed). In March he had signed a contract with Dutton's to prepare an edition of these rhymes to be illustrated by Shepard and delivered before 1 February 1927 (Thwaite p. 527). Possibly the demand for Winnie the Pooh meant that Milne's take on old-fashioned nursery rhymes was adapted to include the collection of verses about Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh that became Now We Are Six. "My idea is that when I have chosen the nursery rhymes to go in - about 51, I should think - but some will be very short - we should each make our own comments on them independently - I in words and you in pictures". As evidenced by this letter, Milne had an unusually supportive relationship with his illustrator. Earlier that year, he had offered Shepard a 20 per cent stake in the royalties from Winnie-the-Pooh, an unprecedented move at the time (Thwaite pp. 296-7). Now his offer is even more generous, as he proposes "that we share 50/50" of the Mother Goose royalties. He closes with an invitation, "We go to Cotchford today till May 3rd. Do come over - with family or without some time. You may have other suggestions to make about Mother Goose, and anyhow we should be delighted to see you. Yours ever, A. A. Milne". Provenance: from the collection of Pat McInally. Single sheet of Milne's letterhead (191 x 140 mm), written on both sides in black ink. With a typescript copy of the letter on yellow paper. A few very minor creases at the lower left corner. Excellent condition.