Oct 14, 2026, 9:18 PM

@internetarchive Happy Centennial, Winnie!

Here are the original Winnie-the-Pooh and friends stuffed animals, as photographed at the NY Public Library a few months ago (original content, full copy of the placard is in the alt text).

Photo of a museum display of stuffed animals encased in glass. A teddy bear sits on the tallest box with a tiger on the next-tallest (to our left). The bottom row has a tiny pig, a kangaroo, and a donkey.

The placard reads:

Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends
ca. 1921
Rare Book Division

On his first birthday, in 1921, Christopher Robin Milne received a teddy bear purchased from Harrods department store in London. Christened Winnie-the-Pooh, the bear soon acquired several now-familiar companions: Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Tigger, and Roo. (Roo was eventually lost in an apple orchard.) In time, Christopher's playmates would come to inspire several classic works such as "Winnie-the-Pooh" (1926) and "The House at Pooh Corner" (1928), all written by his father, A.A. Milne.

Brought to the United States in 1947, the toys remained with Milne's American Publisher, E.P. Dutton, until 1987, when they were donated to the Library. Today they stand as a beloved centerpiece of the Library's renowned collection of children's literature, continuing to delight and inspire both the young and young at heart.