Autograph Letter Signed ("Ernest Shepard"), Woodmancote, Lodsworth, Near Petworth, 8 November 1960.
Lodsworth: , 1960. Item #06747
An Ernest H. Shepard Autograph Letter Discussing the Illustration and Jacket Design
of The Christopher Robin Story Book
Written to Frank Herrmann, Methuen's Publisher of the Winnie-the-Pooh Books
SHEPARD, Ernest H. Autograph Letter Signed ("Ernest Shepard"), Woodmancote, Lodsworth, Near Petworth, 8 November 1960.
Autograph letter signed, one sheet written on both sides, measuring 7 x 5 3/8 inches (178 x 136 mm.), on Shepard's printed personal stationery.
Written to Frank Herrmann (1927–2021), the distinguished Methuen editor and publisher who oversaw the publication of the Winnie-the-Pooh books during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Shepard thanks Herrmann for returning a rough design prepared for The Christopher Robin Story Book, commenting upon editorial suggestions and discussing revisions to the accompanying illustration.
He notes that he will alter the composition by placing the characters higher within the picture but adds that he would prefer: "to stick to my idea of Pooh reading..." rather than adopt an alternative suggestion.
Shepard also discusses the preparation of the dust jacket and apologizes for the delay caused by a recent bout of influenza: "I have been laid by the heels for a week with 'flu'..." before promising to complete the jacket as soon as possible.
This letter forms part of the fascinating exchange between Shepard and Frank Herrmann concerning the design and production of The Christopher Robin Story Book (Methuen, 1960), one of the final major Winnie-the-Pooh publications to be illustrated under Shepard's personal supervision.
A closely related letter to Herrmann, dated 11 October 1960, accompanied Shepard's initial rough jacket sketch and proposed "to introduce all the Pooh characters in a suitable background," while another letter of 14 November 1960 continues the discussion of the completed jacket design.
Together, these letters document Shepard's meticulous attention to the artistic presentation of Milne's classic stories more than three decades after the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Far more than routine publishing correspondence, the present letter provides a rare first-hand record of Shepard's creative process and his determination to preserve his own artistic conception - "my idea of Pooh reading" - while collaborating with his publisher.
Letters of this nature, discussing the design and illustration of the Pooh books, are exceptionally uncommon and represent an important surviving record of the creation and continuing refinement of one of the twentieth century's most beloved illustrated literary classics.
An engaging and historically significant glimpse into Shepard's working methods during the final decade of his career, documenting his continued supervision of the visual presentation of the Winnie-the-Pooh books more than thirty years after their original publication.
Price: $1,250.00