Shepard, E.H.

i) "And I held his paw and I shouted 'Shoo!'", 76 by 224mm.; ii) Winnie-the-Pooh outside butcher's shop, 177 by 52mm.; iii) Christopher Robin and Pooh climbing stairs, 195 by 136mm.; all ink drawings on single sheet, signed lower right, with title in the hand of A.A. Milne ("Us Two | by | A.A. Milne") in centre of sheet, minor creases and tears, slight spotting to lower left corner

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'Us Two' was first published, in book form, within Now We Are Six (Methuen, 1927). However, the poem was first printed within Royal Magazine, February 1927, pp. 350-51.

This sheet was used for the original periodical appearance and reproduced exactly on page 351 of the Royal Magazine with the final two stanzas of Milne's poem appearing in the centre (and intersecting the bannisters of the staircase). Book publication reproduced Shepard's illustrations with the exception of Pooh outside the butcher's shop which is unique to the magazine publication.

It is extremely rare to find three of Shepard's Pooh illustrations on the same sheet from their original magazine publication. The second drawing is a rare, practically unknown, image of Winnie-the-Pooh which is unique to the first appearance of the poem. Two of the drawings are well-known from the third of Milne's Pooh books.