Once upon a time, nearly 100 years ago, a real boy named Christopher Robin sat in his room and played with five dolls: a toy bear, donkey, kangaroo, pig and tiger. That boy was English author A.A. Milne’s son, and those dolls were, of course, Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Kanga, Piglet and Tigger, the inspiration behind one of the most well-known children’s book series of the 20th century.
Almost a century later, those same toys are on view in Manhattan thanks to the New York Public Library. Except, at the ripe old age of 95, the original residents of the Hundred Acre Wood look better than they did when they were handed over to the Library in the 1980s.
Advertisement
That’s because they just got a makeover.
A year ago, NYPL conservators decided that the famous doll collection needed a facelift. Or, more specifically, neck alignments, clavicle repairs and bottom fluffing. With the restoration, the library hoped to bring back some of the toys’ past luster ― not exactly fixing every tear and fade, but cleaning and repairing them so they more closely resembled the stuffed animals Christopher Robin knew.
This month, Pooh and the gang are finally back on display, bearing custom-colored plush fabric patches and nylon Maline net protection.
Advertisement
The conservation effort was a serious one. Here’s what Michael Inman, NYPL’s curator of rare books, responsible for taking care of the Pooh dolls, had to say about the blessed restoration:
“The New York Public Library takes the long-term preservation of these beloved dolls very seriously. Being ever mindful of their care and condition, and given recent advances in textile conservation techniques, we decided that the time was right to undertake restorative work on these treasures. As a result of the treatments they have received, the dolls have been not only cleaned, repaired, and stabilized — thereby ensuring their continued survival — but also returned to a state that is, in many ways, closer to how they appeared when they were in the possession of the Milne family.”
The dolls’ return to the NYPL marks Pooh’s upcoming 95th birthday, as Christopher Robin initially received the Harrods teddy bear on Aug. 21, 1921. The toy bear takes his name from an actual black bear, dubbed Winnie, who lived at the London Zoo when Christopher Robin was a child.
The stuffed animals would go on to inspire Milne’s 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh, the 1928 book The House at Pooh Corner, and a slew of adapted stories, TV shows and films that followed.
Advertisement
When Christopher Robin was older, the Milne family sold his stuffed animals to their publisher E. P. Dutton (sans Roo, who allegedly disappeared in an apple orchard in the 1930s). The toys wound their way to the NYPL library collection in 1987.
Today, the toys are housed at the NYPL’s Children’s Center in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in New York City, where kids are invited to make birthday cards for the characters still worshipped by budding readers today.
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.